Comparing it with Seven Samurai or Sholay will be too ambitious, but writing it off like the way many have done is a bit too harsh for a film which is beautiful in its own way.Many would say that it is a bit too tad and stretched.They are right.May be if it was made today, the length would have been half an hour less , making the film much more sleek than it is.Character portrayal of a few of the members of the gang is shady.Cinematography at times is sketchy .Sans these errs,the film stands tall.It is great to see many of the stalwarts of parallel movies are coming in the same frame for a commercial effort.Brilliant job done by the two Puris,Danny and Naseeruddin.Seeing Mamta Kulkarni in a complete different avatar from the streamy roles she was known for is a welcome break.The movie has its high points like the cattle scene or the Sarfraz-Puri relation portrayal and definitely an engaging climax.Mukesh Tiwari is swashbuckling as Jageera, a character which has unfortunately been forgotten,failing to secure a place amongst the likes of the Gabbars or Mogambos.However, the highest achievement of the film lies in its central theme- a band of retired army men who have been deserted by the society in different ways succeed in the upheaval task of thwarting a menacing bandit's rule despite several stubborn obstacles.In the way they make you laugh,love and cry with them.The theme song by Sonu Nigam is lovable.So is the gyration of Urmila Matondkar in Chhamma Chhamma.Overall, even though it has gone into oblivion with the passage of time, it is a masterpiece from a very good film maker.
11 Reviews
If you prefer technicially brilliant movie, this is one, you can't afford to miss it.
Anupam1 December 1999
This is another WONDERFUL movie by RajKumar Santoshi, the creator of Ghayal, Ghatak, Damini. Though the movie is inspired by blockbusters like Sholay (Hindi), Seven Samurai but has somehow prints its own identity. This movie has more than 12 actors but the director has beautifully characterize their roles. You would remember each and everybody even after leaving the theatre. I think this is the first Hindi movie which has no young actors in it and typical love story. The other highlights of the movie are excellent cinematography, live sets and superb acting. If you prefer technicially brilliant movie, this is one, you must see.
-Anupam
-Anupam
Worth it for Chama Chama
T-2711 September 2007
First of all let me admit, I like Bollywood movies for the singing and dancing. So I always have a"plot" verdict and a music verdict. I rate the movie as good, there was an interesting plot, the acting was good, and the tale had a good moral.
But I must admit I would probably have never watched it if it were not for Urmilla's rendition of Chama Chama. Simply spectacular, one of the greatest things ever. I rank it up there with Dola Re Dola from Devdas, and Rhamba's Pyaar Achcha Hota Hai from the film Pyaar Diwan Hota Hai.
In fact I work for a public library and recommended the library purchase both China Gale and Pyaar Diwan Hota Hai simply because I was totally blown away after seeing them on the Chart Busters DVD from Eros Entertainment. Both movies are OK plot wise, but these two are true show stoppers. So I literally would not have seen either movie except for these two songs!
But I must admit I would probably have never watched it if it were not for Urmilla's rendition of Chama Chama. Simply spectacular, one of the greatest things ever. I rank it up there with Dola Re Dola from Devdas, and Rhamba's Pyaar Achcha Hota Hai from the film Pyaar Diwan Hota Hai.
In fact I work for a public library and recommended the library purchase both China Gale and Pyaar Diwan Hota Hai simply because I was totally blown away after seeing them on the Chart Busters DVD from Eros Entertainment. Both movies are OK plot wise, but these two are true show stoppers. So I literally would not have seen either movie except for these two songs!
Seven Samurai goes Hindi
Danno-2024 October 1999
The story of China gate is basically stolen from Kurosawas Seven Samurai, which isn't very strange since it's a great story. Seen in a cinema in Bombay, it was an extraordninary experience in every way. The action scenes were explosive, to say the least, and the characters absolutely marvelous. The way the plot suddenly is interrupted by amazing dance- and song performences is indeed a different experience for western people filled with the American way of making films.
If you didn't like Schindlers list, this is the movie for you. It's sure to give any mindless Hollywood action pic an even match.
If you didn't like Schindlers list, this is the movie for you. It's sure to give any mindless Hollywood action pic an even match.
Sholay with more men..!!
Tejas_Vinda_AITS5 December 2018
I love this movie.
No great names but amazing actors like Om Puri, Amrish Puri, Danny to name a few.
Mukesh Tiwari made a remarkable debut and impressed all. "Chamma Chamma" was a craze at that time. Reminds me of the my child hood days when i never missed a new release!
N story is not dissimilar to grt sholay..!!
No great names but amazing actors like Om Puri, Amrish Puri, Danny to name a few.
Mukesh Tiwari made a remarkable debut and impressed all. "Chamma Chamma" was a craze at that time. Reminds me of the my child hood days when i never missed a new release!
N story is not dissimilar to grt sholay..!!
"Sholay" meets "The Seven Samurai"
sshogben9 September 2020
If a viewer has seen both the classic films "Sholay" (1975) and "The Seven Samurai" (1954) ... "China Gate" (1998) offers zero suspense whatsoever.
Credited as an homage to the Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa, "China Gate" is better described as COMPLETELY derivative of the two referenced classic movies. I do not make this assertion lightly. But "China Gate" was so poorly done that at every single major crisis point I predicted EXACTLY what was going to happen, simply because the equivalent character in "Sholay" did this or Toshiro Mafune in "The Seven Samurai" did that. Every Single Time.
I had thought, when I bought the movie, how could a film possibly go wrong with such a fantastic cast of great veteran actors?
Casting the two Puris -- Om Puri and Amrish Puri -- as, well, two Puris was a nice touch, I'll grant you. Naseeruddin Shah delivered, as did Danny Denzongpa (always one of India's most underrated actors, in my opinion). But the rest of the ten 'old soldiers' were given nothing to work with. I never could even remember their names. The role allotted to poor Tinnu Anand, for example, was less memorable than that given the character's dog. (The dog's name was Jigar. ;-) Mukesh Tiwari tried hard, in his film début. But since he was tasked with a carbon-copy impression of Gabbar from "Sholay", his villain Jageera was on the whole less interesting than the character's pet vultures (who were overused to a fault).
More than anything, though, "China Gate" strikes me as an example of a director overwhelmed by an overambitious project.
EVERY department seemed out of control. Scripting, for sure. Others here have suggested "China Gate" is half-an-hour too long. I would argue the whole first hour could have been tightened up to about 5 minutes; it took forever to finally get our characters to The Mission. Editing was horrible. The film is said to have had a huge, almost unprecedented budget. But if so, the budget did NOT end up 'on the screen'. For what should have been an action extravaganza, the stunt work never felt fresh or interesting. As others have noted, botched stunt shots were frequently left in the finished film that should have been left on the cutting room floor. And even when the director finally gets round to a 'big' scene with his top actors, he completely buries the dialogue under overheavy use of what has to be THE MOST INTRUSIVE background score I've ever experienced in a movie!
Rajkumar Santoshi is a veteran director, and I have enjoyed some of his other projects. But in reflection, I have thought best of what were always his comedy films. Perhaps an attempted epic drama such as this was simply beyond his scope?
Deeply disappointed in this one.
4/10 solely in honour of some great actors who gave a game performance in a losing effort.
Credited as an homage to the Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa, "China Gate" is better described as COMPLETELY derivative of the two referenced classic movies. I do not make this assertion lightly. But "China Gate" was so poorly done that at every single major crisis point I predicted EXACTLY what was going to happen, simply because the equivalent character in "Sholay" did this or Toshiro Mafune in "The Seven Samurai" did that. Every Single Time.
I had thought, when I bought the movie, how could a film possibly go wrong with such a fantastic cast of great veteran actors?
Casting the two Puris -- Om Puri and Amrish Puri -- as, well, two Puris was a nice touch, I'll grant you. Naseeruddin Shah delivered, as did Danny Denzongpa (always one of India's most underrated actors, in my opinion). But the rest of the ten 'old soldiers' were given nothing to work with. I never could even remember their names. The role allotted to poor Tinnu Anand, for example, was less memorable than that given the character's dog. (The dog's name was Jigar. ;-) Mukesh Tiwari tried hard, in his film début. But since he was tasked with a carbon-copy impression of Gabbar from "Sholay", his villain Jageera was on the whole less interesting than the character's pet vultures (who were overused to a fault).
More than anything, though, "China Gate" strikes me as an example of a director overwhelmed by an overambitious project.
EVERY department seemed out of control. Scripting, for sure. Others here have suggested "China Gate" is half-an-hour too long. I would argue the whole first hour could have been tightened up to about 5 minutes; it took forever to finally get our characters to The Mission. Editing was horrible. The film is said to have had a huge, almost unprecedented budget. But if so, the budget did NOT end up 'on the screen'. For what should have been an action extravaganza, the stunt work never felt fresh or interesting. As others have noted, botched stunt shots were frequently left in the finished film that should have been left on the cutting room floor. And even when the director finally gets round to a 'big' scene with his top actors, he completely buries the dialogue under overheavy use of what has to be THE MOST INTRUSIVE background score I've ever experienced in a movie!
Rajkumar Santoshi is a veteran director, and I have enjoyed some of his other projects. But in reflection, I have thought best of what were always his comedy films. Perhaps an attempted epic drama such as this was simply beyond his scope?
Deeply disappointed in this one.
4/10 solely in honour of some great actors who gave a game performance in a losing effort.
good actors poor direction, music, dialogues,.......never ending list
dhavaludani16 March 2005
An excellent idea originally thought up by the Late Akiro Kurosawa copied very successfully in Sholay and very haphazardly shown with total and complete failure in ChinaGate. Inspired(this word has been given a whole new dimension by Anu Mallik) by the Seven Samurais this is a story about 10 men disgraced in war out to redeem their glory. Great till here. Enter the likes of Om Puri, Danny, Amrish Puri and Naserruddin Shah and u think its going to be a cracker. Enter Viju Khote, Sameer Soni and some others whom I can't even name and this movie becomes absolutely unwatchable. Mamta Kulkarni is in a totally unglamorous role and we all know about those accusations which are being thrown around thick and fast. Though she does give a emotional and certain sense to the movie which goes absolutely berserk at times. U have very bad background music, which rings in your ears and horrible cinematography which fails to capture the better shots. The shot in which vultures hover around waiting for the corpse is great but it is highly overdone and occurs at least 15 times with all those irritating loud noises in the background. And u have a completely hopeless Sameer Soni who is forever hovering around Mamta trying to get a peek into her u know what. The action sequences r also trite with the same things being done repeatedly. Twice in the movie u see horsemen after being shot moving back thru the air as their horses move forward. Though this is the normal trick it is rarely possible to discern it in the movie. The movie is salvaged by the excellent 'Chamma Chamma' dance number by Urmila. The proof of this is the poster outside Plaza which has Urmila covering the maximum amount of area in the poster as compared to any other single person. The choreography and music is excellent though the lyrics hardly mean a thing(does it really matter anyway). The other saving graces are Danny with his great diction and Nasseruddin Shah with his extraordinary dialog delivery specially the one that he tells Amrish Puri after saving his life. Om Puri fails to impress as much though he is passable. The others make a downright ass of themselves and makes u wonder if such people can ever be in the Army. A great military movie has been hog washed to a typical Bollywood mirch masala. I think Rajkumar Santoshi was sleeping during this movie. Said to be the costliest movie with an estimated budget of Rs. 20 crores you wonder at the end of the 3 hr ordeal as to where the money was spent. Disappointing fare on the whole.
The Damned Prince !
elshikh419 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I'm sad. No, I'm really sad. How come a potentially super movie like this goes wrong like that?! Well, it didn't go so wrong, but sure it wasn't that right either!
It's a (Seven Samurais) story, but with 11 fighters, being old ones, having a dishonor they want to wipe as a salvation. It has a B-movie gold, however the movie insists on being not that shiny. Review with me; not all the 11 are being spotted on, so why the big number from the start? We didn't go through the already cared about characters; it goes like this; one drunk, one rich, one mouthy.. etc. Namely hasty without much writing to utilize the stereotype, or make it less tacky. And most of them weren't even done appropriately in the first place (Naseeruddin Shah loves children while having a child of his own, and not being a lost child himself!). The matter of the girl calling the police to forbid the leads of continuing the mission, just for feeling afraid that they may die, is so idiot it's unbelievable. How the corrupted police officer would collect the handsome financial award for capturing the criminal while he'd let him escape?! And that rich man of the team, he just approved to spend his money, financing the mission, building a school, so easily. Rather, every time these men have a problem with each other, it solves itself so easily; for instance, they disagreed, and half of them is about to leave, then they suddenly unsay and stay (??!!).
The music is another electronic hell, with no taste but to disparage everything and annoy us. The editing was utterly nerves; it deprived the movie of any specialty, and turned the whole thing into accelerated hubbub. Then, the guy who played the villain, OH MY GOD, he wasn't the worst of this movie; he was the worst Indian actor I have ever seen yet! At one moment, I asked myself: Why they didn't hire the American comedian (Chris Rock) instead? In comparison, he would have been at least funnier! While being supposedly scary, his scenes came to be laughable due to his flamboyant make-up, and imbecile performance. That turned me off, before devastating the power of the conflict. The reputation of holding the record for the highest number of extras and the biggest action sequences filmed in a Hindi film IS shamefully false. The action sequences aren't expensive, or excellently made. Average, or in best cases, decent is the word for it. So, as you see, everything was between nerves and average. And finally, (Urmila Matondkar) had a cameo in the singing sequence. She was massively silly, and looked like a freaking robot. So how come she's bigger than all the movie's leads on the poster?!!
I only loved the different format for the Samurais this round, the satire against the police as helpless but colluding; which's something unusual in a story of that sort, the way the script handled the storyline of the village people; from absolute cowards or peace-loving, to brave soldiers who take their usurped rights by war, and the loose performance of the charismatic (Amrish Puri) as nearly the opposite of anything he used to be before, stealing the show from the movie's lead (Om Puri). However, I don't think (Akira Kurosawa), the director of the original (Seven Samurais - 1954), is so happy with this remake. The movie's makers should have made what could equal such a valuable director and movie. Otherwise, why to regard him at the start with a special board? It's something the makers of the much better, and more successful, remake (Sholay - 1975) didn't do. This unprecedented gesture of nostalgia and respect promised of more, but the result was less!
(China Gate) is a clear case of B-grade movie-making that ate up A-grade stuff. And the potentially super movie, which you know and have seen many times in many versions, had been disappointed. That's why I'm pretty sad. It reminded me of the story of the handsome prince who was witched into something else his self. Apparently, the magic of Bollywood this time was more like evil voodoo, transforming the prince into.. Hmmm.. not a prince at the least!
It's a (Seven Samurais) story, but with 11 fighters, being old ones, having a dishonor they want to wipe as a salvation. It has a B-movie gold, however the movie insists on being not that shiny. Review with me; not all the 11 are being spotted on, so why the big number from the start? We didn't go through the already cared about characters; it goes like this; one drunk, one rich, one mouthy.. etc. Namely hasty without much writing to utilize the stereotype, or make it less tacky. And most of them weren't even done appropriately in the first place (Naseeruddin Shah loves children while having a child of his own, and not being a lost child himself!). The matter of the girl calling the police to forbid the leads of continuing the mission, just for feeling afraid that they may die, is so idiot it's unbelievable. How the corrupted police officer would collect the handsome financial award for capturing the criminal while he'd let him escape?! And that rich man of the team, he just approved to spend his money, financing the mission, building a school, so easily. Rather, every time these men have a problem with each other, it solves itself so easily; for instance, they disagreed, and half of them is about to leave, then they suddenly unsay and stay (??!!).
The music is another electronic hell, with no taste but to disparage everything and annoy us. The editing was utterly nerves; it deprived the movie of any specialty, and turned the whole thing into accelerated hubbub. Then, the guy who played the villain, OH MY GOD, he wasn't the worst of this movie; he was the worst Indian actor I have ever seen yet! At one moment, I asked myself: Why they didn't hire the American comedian (Chris Rock) instead? In comparison, he would have been at least funnier! While being supposedly scary, his scenes came to be laughable due to his flamboyant make-up, and imbecile performance. That turned me off, before devastating the power of the conflict. The reputation of holding the record for the highest number of extras and the biggest action sequences filmed in a Hindi film IS shamefully false. The action sequences aren't expensive, or excellently made. Average, or in best cases, decent is the word for it. So, as you see, everything was between nerves and average. And finally, (Urmila Matondkar) had a cameo in the singing sequence. She was massively silly, and looked like a freaking robot. So how come she's bigger than all the movie's leads on the poster?!!
I only loved the different format for the Samurais this round, the satire against the police as helpless but colluding; which's something unusual in a story of that sort, the way the script handled the storyline of the village people; from absolute cowards or peace-loving, to brave soldiers who take their usurped rights by war, and the loose performance of the charismatic (Amrish Puri) as nearly the opposite of anything he used to be before, stealing the show from the movie's lead (Om Puri). However, I don't think (Akira Kurosawa), the director of the original (Seven Samurais - 1954), is so happy with this remake. The movie's makers should have made what could equal such a valuable director and movie. Otherwise, why to regard him at the start with a special board? It's something the makers of the much better, and more successful, remake (Sholay - 1975) didn't do. This unprecedented gesture of nostalgia and respect promised of more, but the result was less!
(China Gate) is a clear case of B-grade movie-making that ate up A-grade stuff. And the potentially super movie, which you know and have seen many times in many versions, had been disappointed. That's why I'm pretty sad. It reminded me of the story of the handsome prince who was witched into something else his self. Apparently, the magic of Bollywood this time was more like evil voodoo, transforming the prince into.. Hmmm.. not a prince at the least!
Overlong and muddled
SumanShakya17 September 2021
"China gate" has nothing to do with China or the great wall. It's simply a mission led by an exiled army officer with his court-martialed team comprising of old officers to free a village from the tyranny of a dreaded dacoit. Sounds like "Sholay" or Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai." Well, the direction is by a prominent film-maker with an eminent cast in the lead. But the things don't work. The film fails to grip through its hackneyed narrative full of cliches and improbabilities. The acting is good and direction tries to impart some qualities; but still the film is muddled and distasteful which is hard to stay with. Anything, you will remember in the movie is the item song "Chamma Chamma," which gets a greater coverage in the film than its plot.
Rating: 1 out of 4 stars.
Rating: 1 out of 4 stars.
Overlong but well-acted homage to 'Sholay'
long-ford12 February 2009
This film works as an overlong homage to 'Sholay'. Here a bunch of squabbling, overweight and dishonored former army men fight to capture a notorious bandit and reclaim their pride. Om Puri and Danny Denzongappa are good but Amrish Puri steals the show. The sparks between Amrish and Naseer are worth watching. Urmila has an item number and it's a foot-tapping one! The villain is suitably hammy, though not very tough. The film does tend to drag and could have been at least a half hour shorter. Still, it's watchable for the most part at least on television/DVD.
Overall 6/10
Overall 6/10
Excellent to sleep or walk off
sanliizzet3 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I do not blame Indians, as they have a very unique taste for movies. But, even for Indian movie standards China Gate is an absolute wreck.
I do not mind the plot is stolen. But, I could tolerate this crap only for the first half than I walked off. Why? Because nothing at all happened in the first half except the fantastic belly dance show of Urmila that has also nothing to do with the film in any way. (Believe me, many of the audience was just there to see only this part). The entire first part of the movie was full of silly dialogs and "keep dragging scenes".
One of the fallbacks of the movie is "the cast" also. One dozen of so called action heroes are actually at their 70'ies who need a stick to be able to walk properly! Seeing bunch of Alzheimer driven heroes trying to figth a notorious gang just make me sick.
Anyway, since nothing significant happened in the first half I walked off. Do not think I troughly watch the first half. I slept most of the time.
Most of the Indian movies have good scores even though the plot is stupid. However in this movie there is not much belly dance show except the one in which Urmila shows her talent.
Maybe the movie picks up in the second half, I do not know. But looking at the lame direction in the first half, I can imagine how idiotic the second half with the action scenes the old men in it.
A huge waste of three plus some hours. Do not come even any close.
I do not mind the plot is stolen. But, I could tolerate this crap only for the first half than I walked off. Why? Because nothing at all happened in the first half except the fantastic belly dance show of Urmila that has also nothing to do with the film in any way. (Believe me, many of the audience was just there to see only this part). The entire first part of the movie was full of silly dialogs and "keep dragging scenes".
One of the fallbacks of the movie is "the cast" also. One dozen of so called action heroes are actually at their 70'ies who need a stick to be able to walk properly! Seeing bunch of Alzheimer driven heroes trying to figth a notorious gang just make me sick.
Anyway, since nothing significant happened in the first half I walked off. Do not think I troughly watch the first half. I slept most of the time.
Most of the Indian movies have good scores even though the plot is stupid. However in this movie there is not much belly dance show except the one in which Urmila shows her talent.
Maybe the movie picks up in the second half, I do not know. But looking at the lame direction in the first half, I can imagine how idiotic the second half with the action scenes the old men in it.
A huge waste of three plus some hours. Do not come even any close.
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