36 China Town
Film Review
I like Abbas Mustan, the film industry’s sole director duo. Generally they pick up a foreign idea, indianize it, garnish it with good music, add a dash of comedy and serve a slickly packaged dish. Khiladi, Baazigar, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Aitraz, Ajnabee, Badshah and Humraaz are some of their good movies. With their brother Hussain Burmawallah at the editing table, Abbas Mustan’s films always have a smooth narrative flow.
Having grown up on a staple of Agatha Christies, Hindi films’ murder mysteries always leave me unfulfilled. So in that respect 36 China Town had a tough standard to live upto. But if for a moment we leave Christie-comparison aside and view 36 China Town individually as a film, it is definitely entertaining, and all above mentioned standard Abbas-Mustan ingredients are present.
The story is simple – A rich casino owner Sonia (Isha Koppikar) is murdered on the day she was to receive her lost baby son. The suspects include – a playboy Rocky (Upen Patel), a compulsive gambler Natwar (Paresh Rawal), his wife Gracy (Payal Rohatgi), another gambler couple (Johny Lever and Dilnaz), a struggling actor Raj (Shahid Kapur) and Priya (Kareena Kapoor) – the last two were bringing back the lost child. There are other peripheral characters which also add to the suspense – a drunkard (Raj Zutshie), a servant couple and a lawyer (Vivek Vaswani). The inspector (Akshaye Khanna) solves the case.
The film has a good pace after the initial half hour; the directors falter miserably in that section. They wanted to establish events happening simultaneously but at different cities; I am sure they could have found a better means to do so. Also, Upen Patel’s introductory footage is boring and unnecessary. Tanushree Dutta-Shahid’s ‘item’ song is a huge speed breaker especially since it comes minutes after the hit ‘Aa aa ashiqui’ song; two songs at such short interval in a thriller is a strict no-no. Wonder why they retained it in the final product? Another song that could have been given the axe is “24-7 I think of you”.
There are a few glitches. But the biggest of them all is that Sonia is shown to be this extremely rich heiress living in a gargantuan mansion – but how come there are no gatekeepers at all to guard the palace? And, it really takes more than suspension of disbelief to imagine that Isha’s dead body could fit into that tiny suitcase – though must say, the entire comedy track revolving that suitcase is hilarious!
Amongst the performers, Akshaye Khanna outshines them all; he appears after the interval, and with an author-backed role and a charismatic performance he sweeps away the film.
Shahid and Kareena provide colorful glamour and are ok. The supporting casts are all talented ones and they do not let the audience down. I am sure the ladies will love Upen Patel; for me he came across as a male version of ‘behenji turned mod’; I believe his voice has been dubbed; he should keep his mouth closed anyways! Acting wise he didn’t have to try too hard; the role was tailor made for him!
The music by current hit-machine Himesh Reshammiya is storming the charts – and admittedly “Aa aa ashiqui” is foot tapping, catchy and picturised wonderfully. Other good songs are “Rock your body” and “Mujhe tujhme badi dilchaspi hai”
Dialogues are witty, cinematography excellent and if one can forgive the initial portion, editing is first-rate.
In all, it’s an interesting Sunday time-pass movie which can be watched by leaving your brains, tension and worries outside the theater.
Overall: Worth a view!
Enjoyed the post? Subscribe to Random Expression's RSS Feed
In case you find this site entertaining and useful please contribute your own bit by making a nominal donation.
A fresh way to contact me - New Contact Form added to the site. We love to hear from you, keep writing in!
May 15th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Hi DJ….visiting here for the first time. Nice look for the blog. I heard that initial collections of the movie haven’t been all that encouraging. I don’t really think too much of the music either. And yea…the growing up on Agatha Christie novels is a HUGE factor when it comes to watching desi whodunits.
) Hopefully u’ve settled down well and proper by this time. For me, even shifting houses in the same city is such a major change.Take care!!
May 15th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
And yea…the gold is mine
May 16th, 2006 at 8:14 am
PARVATHI Welcome welcome to this space
Yes the movie hasnt been the blockbuster it was predicted to be. These days the music is forced down your throat till u start liking it LOL. But ‘aashiqui mein meri’ is pretty good song. Yep, hv more or less settled here now.
Gold aapka
May 16th, 2006 at 8:21 am
i saw d movie.. i agree with u, its entertaining… i liked akshay n hated upen
nice to read ur review on it 
May 16th, 2006 at 8:25 am
I plan to watch this movie…cuz have enjoyed all Abbas Mustan movies…
ohh well the songs are not soo good..esp Himesh singing for Shahid is a big no-no…I believe Himesh has also sung for Shahid in the forthcoming ‘Chup Chup Ke’.
LOL @ ‘behenji turned mod’….hate that creature…
As you said..a timepass afternoon watch..:)
May 16th, 2006 at 10:24 am
have two reasons for not watching the film:
1) Himesh -nasal twang- Reshammiya
2)Kareena -oh, look at my pout- Kapoor
:P
May 16th, 2006 at 10:37 am
no intention of watching this movie. dislike shahid and kareena both, i think they shd actually exchange gender, that might work. akshaye i like but not enf to watch the movie. another thing is that against the cost of tickets no movie seems work it. PVR just opened around Juhu, very close to Prithvi (close by my standards that is) 120/ 150 ki tickets hai. Mujhse nahi karch hota itna saara paisa.
and pls which woman in her right mind would like Upen, he is next to emran in eewwwwyyyyness.
though doesnt matter how the movie is, your review is great. btw u can look fwd to an email by evening.
May 16th, 2006 at 11:25 am
O.K. It’s about 36 China Town.
I’ve not watch it but definitely I will watch it once. (not read your review as you know the reason
).
And thanks for reading and commenting the story
.
May 16th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Strange!!! When I tried to post my comment it said “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!….”
May 16th, 2006 at 11:37 am
Hey there is not any options in wordpress comment box if once we feed our email address it will story in memo forever and we don’t have to feed each time we comment.
I really don’t like to write email address every time I come
.
May 16th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Will it work????
May 16th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
So it work here now.
I had been trying to comment but I don’t know why it was not working.
I have to watch the film to I didn’t read your post. You know the reasons
.
May 16th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
email bheja hai.
May 16th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
You review is great…
But, I don’t think I’ll watch… “36 China town”..
Hindi murder mystries…
They are just - How to put it? .. They’ll show the story .. cutting the pieces and links in the beginning & throw suspicion on everyone except the one who has done the murder & volla in the end they’ll show those bits & pieces & show that this & that happened at that time …
The feeling you get after seeing it is - Theek hai bhai - beebkoof bana leya muzhey - ab mzhey ghar jane de … & spending 100-200 rs even on that doesn’t seems like a wise thing to do …
Nevertheless, your review is very good ..
May 16th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
somehow I rate abbas mastan flicks as nice timepass movies! newways, hope you have, by now, again picked up the pace of del.
…and nice showers on sunday:D
May 16th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
neways…typo
May 16th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
GIRL Good to see u liked it too
MEHAK Dekh ke batana kaisi lagi - gaane theek hai sunne mein. I like Himesh as a music composer, strictly as a composer that is!
ANKS Not enough to not watch the movie
Directors like Priyadarshan and Abbas Mustan are sensible. They know how to keep Kareena in check. In all their movies be it Ajnabi, Aitraaz or Priyan’s Hulchul, Kareena always gets the ‘reactive’ role. So the audience is spared LOL
May 16th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
PRIYANGINI
ROFL … good one there! Yep, tickets are awfully expensive these days. But I saw on Sunday noon show, when its slightly sastaa
May 16th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
SILKY MOON Your comment went into spam unfortunately. Have retrieved them out all, now you can see them.
Email storing is not wordpress issue. But it’s at your browser’s end. I dont type my own email in this form here while replying. Also checked this up with Anu just now.
Do watch the film and tell kaisi lagi…
PRIYANGINI Replied to your email
NAVJOT He he he , that was an amusing way of putting it ;P Personally, I felt it was worth the money spent (including the atrociously expensive coke, popcorns in PVR)
May 16th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
VAIBHAV Yep trying to get adjusted, now more or less done so. Yeah me too likes Abbas-Mustan as mentioned in the post also
May 17th, 2006 at 6:25 am
I have always liked Abbas Mastan’s movies…so will definitely watch this one. Although, I really wish that they Upen guy was not in this movie. I mean c’mon, the guy can’t even speak hindi…what is he doing acting in a hindi movie? I think he will be better off walking down the ramp!
Nice review.
May 17th, 2006 at 7:43 am
Yes same here…Himesh has been giving good/hit music…
May 17th, 2006 at 8:34 am
MANNAT Thankfully, Upen’s voice has been dubbed, so one wudnt know his lack of Hindi knowledge
But overall, I found him quite sore. I had thought the girls would like his presence 
but comments yahan pe kuchh aur hi kah rahe hai … Do watch and batana kaisi lagi…
MEHAK Yep …
July 3rd, 2006 at 2:43 pm
upen patel is so fit n he looked really nice in the movie..
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:39 pm
MEHREENA - A warm warm welcome to my space
July 11th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
hey upen patel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG I JUST LUV YA PICS AND UR SONG ASHIQUEE!OH I LUV IT .UR DANCING N U MIND BLOWING!!
July 11th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
ASHREETA - A warm welcome to the blog. And that’s what I call a true fan. But nothing for the blog?
July 18th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
hi deepak….i just luv upen he is mindblowing..