Superstar Akshay Kumar, known in Bollywood as the "Khiladi," is famously one of the industry's busiest actors, often releasing four to five films a year. Despite his consistent success, not all of his films have fared well at the box office. One such film is Chandni Chowk to China, released 16 years ago on January 16, 2009.

The movie, directed by Nikhil Advani and starring both Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, was a highly anticipated martial arts action-comedy featuring a mix of Indian and foreign actors. Akshay played Siddhu, a character facing many hardships.

However, despite a generous budget of ₹65 crore, the film failed to attract audiences and was declared a box office disaster. It managed to earn only around ₹29 crore in India, with a worldwide gross of about ₹53 crore, falling well short of breaking even.

Chandni Chowk to China’s commercial failure marked a tough phase in Akshay’s career, but he continued to bounce back with many subsequent hits.

Currently, Akshay Kumar has released several films in 2025, including Sky Force, Kesari Chapter 2, Housefull 5, and Kannappa. His upcoming film Jolly LLB 3, directed by Subhash Kapoor and featuring actors like Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla, is scheduled for release on September 19, 2025.

This flop 2009 film remains a reminder of the challenges even big stars face in the film industry, highlighting that success often follows perseverance and resilience.