Nikkhil Advani recalls how he ‘shut down Warner Bros’ in India post Chandni Chowk To China’s failure: ‘My career is over’

Nikkhil Advani recounted how Akshay Kumar stood by his side after their film, Chandni Chowk To China, bombed at the box office.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | April 2, 2024 05:49 PM IST

3 min read

Nikkhil Advani recalls how Akshay Kumar-starrer Chandni Chowk To China's failure affected him. (Pic: IMDB)

After directing the widely acclaimed Kal Ho Naa Ho, Nikkhil Advani ventured into Chandni Chowk To China, a film co-produced by Hollywood giant Warner Bros. It was a significant move as it marked the studio’s foray into Hindi cinema. Despite high expectations and a star-studded cast featuring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, the film failed to make an impact at the box office. The setback not only affected the Hollywood studio’s prospects in India but also had repercussions on Nikkhil’s career trajectory.

Reflecting on the challenging times, Nikkhil recounted in an interview with Film Companion how Akshay stood by his side, offering words of encouragement that pushed him forward. The filmmaker shared, “Rohan Sippy (producer) was a dear friend of mine. He told me to do Chandni Chowk To China, I jumped into the film. I didn’t have first idea of action. I shut down Warner Bros.”

Speaking about how Akshay’s encouraging words helped him, he said, “It was a silly mistake. Silly decisions that I took. Luckily for me, Akshay Kumar called me on the day Chandni Chowk To China bombed and I go to his house and I am distraught, ‘I don’t know what to do? My career is over,’ and he says, ‘When are you starting the next one because we should start the next one.’ He had so much faith in me as a filmmaker.”

After his fallout with Karan Johar following his direction of Kal Ho Naa Ho, Nikkhil Advani began a journey to prove himself in the Hindi film industry. He seized the opportunity to helm the multi-starrer romantic film Salaam-e-Ishq, though despite its promising premise, the movie faltered at the box office. Undeterred by this setback, Nikkhil immersed himself in his work, taking the reins of Chandni Chowk To China. However, this movie also met a similar fate.

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However, Akshay and Nikkhil continued their collaboration after this setback. They worked on films like Patiala House, Airlift, and Bell Bottom. While Patiala House and Bell Bottom didn’t fare well commercially, Airlift emerged as a box office success.

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