New Delhi: Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani has finally ended the debate over sequels to Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Akshay Kumar’s Chandni Chowk To China (2009).
“Kal Ho Naa Ho 2 will never happen. It is difficult to recreate that magic, even for me…It happens only once…I will not make it,” Advani told ThePrint.
However, all hope is not lost.
The director said that he is on board to make the sequel to Chandni Chowk To China.
“I am willing to make it…I saw there is a community on Reddit asking about the sequel,” he said.
The filmmaker recalled a recent incident when Akshay Kumar called him asking, “Do you know what Reddit is?”
“I was like, I don’t know, but I am aware that there is some chatter around Chandni Chowk To China. The kids and team highlighted it for us,” Advani revealed, adding that the rights of the film are with Warner Bros.
“But, both Akshay and I are willing to make it…it will be Chandni Chowk to Africa,” he added.
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The big flop and its loss
Upon its release in 2009, the film flopped at the box office. It was backed by Rohan Sippy and Warner Bros., which was the studio’s first big production in India. Its failure contributed to WB quitting India altogether.
In a 2024 interview with Cyrus Broacha on his Cyrus Says podcast, Advani said the film was a major box office flop but later became famous on TV.
The film was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 62-80 crore, but managed to mint Rs 53-56 crore worldwide.
“The head of Warner Bros. was test-driving a Mercedes S-Class before the release; after the release, he bought a Honda City. That’s the level at which the film plummeted. In fact, a media guy stood near my building and said, ‘This is where Nikkhil Advani lives, who wasted your (audience) money. Throw stones here!’ It was vicious. I knew the film was not going to do well. I knew the second half was a problem,” Advani said on the podcast.
After Chandni Chowk To China, Kumar collaborated with Nikkhil Advani for Patiala House (2011), Airlift (2016) and Bell Bottom (2021).
(Edited by Ratan Priya)