Stimulating soup or not but the trailer reminds how shrewd Gujrati businessmen can be and how Indian customers can be gullible

By Mayur Lookhar

Given how some American companies are now shifting their manufacturing base from China to India, introducing a Made in China product now would come as a surprise. Besides, Indians have always have had a sceptical attitude towards Chinese products. However, one thing that always sells in a huge populous nation like India is sex. No, the makers of Made in China (2019) are not indulging into any shady business but importing a Made in China aphrodisiac

Raghuvir Mehta aka Raghu (Rajkummar Rao), is a struggling small-time businessman from Gujarat, who travels to China to make his career. He strikes a distribution deal to sell a Made in China aphrodisiac that comes in the form of a soup. As seen from the trailer, perhaps Raghu himself tests it with his wife Rukmini [Mouni Roy] who claims to be happy with her sex life.

Now, we will know the real truth when the film releases, but based on the trailer, it does come across as though Raghu’s Made in China soup is perhaps more hype than substance. Nevertheless, the trailer perhaps subtly suggests that how gullible Indians can be when it comes to treating sexual problems.  As Paresh Rawal’s character says in the beginning, “Customer is a c*****a (idiot).” May be, Raghu is a making monkey out of the customers

In India, Raghu ties up with noted sexologist Dr.Vardhi [Boman Irani]  to sell his Made in China soup. All along Paresh Rawal’s character seems be the guy who guides Raghu with his metaphorical marketing ideas.

Director Mikhil Musale, whose film Wrong Side Raghu (2016) won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Gujarati, makes his maiden foray into Hindi cinema.   Musale seems to have a fairly simple story at his disposal. Earlier, there were murmurs that it’s based on a true story. There is no such thing mentioned in the trailer though.  Musale’s film simply reminds us that why Gujratis are shrewd businessman and they’ll do anything to sell their product.

Interestingly, we stumbled upon a similar title, a 2010 American film. Writer -director Judi Krant’s Made in China was about an self styled ‘Novelty Inventor’ Johnson (Jackson Kuehn) who finds no domestic taker for his hygiene product idea and so heads to China to find a manufacturer.  Things don’t go as planned.

One will have to see the American film to draw any comparisons with the Indian film, IF ANY. Based on the trailer of the American film, the two films seem apart.

Raghu (Rao) though comes across a typical cliched Gujarati character that we’ve seen countless times in films and television.  It’s not the physicality, but the business acumen that will determine Raghu’s fate in the film, and the fate of the film per se.  The trailer is riddled with sexual innuendo. Given the product he’s selling perhaps much of the humour will stem from the sexual innuendo.  Nevertheless, the business angle aside, yet again we have a film that rightly triggers conversation about people’s sexual problems.  Indian cinema has certainly come by leaps and bound from the time we saw Vicky Donor (2012)

Made in China has been delayed few times and so Maddock Films will be pleased to finally release the film on 25 October. Apart from Rao, Roy, Rawal and Irani the film also has Gajraj Rao, Sumeet Vyas in supporting cast.

Watch the trailer of Made in China (2019) below.