Made in China
- Director
- Mikhil Musale
- Studio
- Maddock Films
- Release Date
- 24 October 2019
- Running Time
- 128 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹30.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹12.81 Cr
Review
Rajkumar Hirani attempts to marry social commentary with commercial comedy in this decidedly uneven venture, but the execution falters under the weight of its own contradictions. Shahid Kapoor carries the film with earnest charm as Raghuvir, a perpetually underachieving entrepreneur whose desperation feels genuine, yet the screenplay squanders opportunities to delve meaningfully into either his psychological struggles or the satirical potential of the premise. The frame narrative—beginning with a Chinese general's death from Tiger Penis Soup—promises intrigue but devolves into contrived plot mechanics that strain credibility. Hirani's direction, typically assured in character-driven narratives, becomes muddled here; the tonal shifts between family drama, buddy comedy, and crime thriller never cohere into a satisfying whole. The film's commentary on Chinese business culture and Indian entrepreneurial desperation could have resonated, but instead settles for surface-level gags and predictable situational humor.
What ultimately derails "Made in China" is its inability to commit to any thematic position. Is it critiquing blind ambition, celebrating perseverance, or condemning moral compromise? The film gestures toward all three without fully exploring any. Kapoor's performance remains the stabilizing force—his vulnerability in scenes depicting professional failure rings true—but even he cannot salvage the muddled second half, where the investigation subplot competes awkwardly wi
Storyline
So basically this movie kicks off with this crazy incident where a Chinese general dies after consuming some product called Tiger Soup at a cultural event in Gujarat. The cops are immediately suspicious and launch an investigation, with two CBI officers determined to track down whoever made this stuff. They eventually find Raghuvir, a struggling Gujarati businessman who admits to being the manufacturer, and from there we jump back to see how this whole mess started in the first place.
Raghu's basically been a total failure at business his entire life. He's got a wife and kid depending on him, and he's inherited his dad's mattress company which is basically going nowhere fast. He's tried launching product after product but nothing sticks, and everyone around him is getting pretty frustrated with his lack of success. His uncle decides to send him and his cousin to China to pitch some sports drink idea to investors, hoping maybe a change of scenery will help him finally catch a break.
While he's in China, things take an interesting turn. He meets up with a successful entrepreneur named Tanmay who actually takes him under his wing and teaches him about what it really takes to succeed in business. One night after some heavy drinking, Raghu ends up promising to meet with some investor guy named Hao Li while pretending to be his cousin Devraj. That's when Hao introduces him to this wild product called Tiger Penis Soup that's apparently huge in China, and that's pretty much where our whole story begins to unfold.
