36 China Town(2006)
36 China Town is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language mystery comedy thriller film directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced by Subhash Ghai. The lead cast includes Akshaye Khanna, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, and Johnny Lever. The story follows the murder of a wealthy casino owner in her Goa mansion, with a detective investigating multiple suspects who all had motives. The film is an official adaptation of the 1960 Italian film '...And Suddenly It's Murder!' and blends comedy with a whodunit plot. It received mixed reviews but was noted for its music by Himesh Reshammiya and the comedic performances of Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever. The film was released on 5 May 2006.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, ZEE5, YouTube, Plex
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 2006
- Director
- Abbas-Mustan
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 20m
- Rating
- 5.1/10
Storyline
When casino owner Sonia Chang is murdered in her mansion at 36 China Town, Inspector Karan must find the killer. Every guest at her party had a reason to want her dead. Karan must sort through their lies to uncover the truth.
“A murder mystery with a twist of comedy.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for 36 China Town
Cast reunions in this film: Paresh Rawal & Akshaye Khanna (9 films together), Himesh Reshammiya & Paresh Rawal (8 films together), Abbas-Mustan & Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla (8 films together), Kareena Kapoor & Shahid Kapoor (6 films together), Himesh Reshammiya & Kareena Kapoor (5 films together), and Johnny Lever & Paresh Rawal (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film was a remake of the 2003 Hollywood movie 'The 3rd Victim', which itself was based on the 1965 film 'The Alphabet Murders'.
- This was one of the last films to feature the popular actor-director pair of Govinda and David Dhawan before their long professional split.
- A key plot point involves a lottery ticket, a common trope in comedies of that era, used here to drive the mystery.
- The movie's title refers to a fictional location, as there is no actual '36 China Town' address in real-life China Towns.
- Despite mixed reviews, the film was a moderate box office success, capitalizing on the star power of Akshaye Khanna and Kareena Kapoor.
- The comedy relied heavily on the exaggerated, frantic performance style typical of director duo Abbas-Mustan's lighter films.
- Shahid Kapoor had a special appearance in the song 'Aashiqui Mein', which became popular for its choreography and costumes.