After KAL HO NA HO and SALAAM E ISHQ, Nikhil Advani has come up with yet another biggie in the form of CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA. However, not many are aware that he was not the first director approached to direct this Akshay Kumar starrer.

Apparently, Rohan Sippy, one of the producers of the film who has worked on the script along with Sridhar Raghavan, had first approached Sriram Raghavan (who is incidentally Sridhar's brother) to direct the film. However, Sriram couldn't do the film for some reasons and Rohan then approached Nikhil who was glad to accept the project.

"That's true, I did approach Sriram to direct the film for us", confirms Rohan Sippy who would be beginning work on another project with the JOHNNY GADDAAR director soon, "However, Sriram was getting busy with AGENT VINOD and he expressed his inability to pick up the project. It was a mutual decision and there was no bad blood.

Nikhil came on board though I will be working with Sriram soon. He is a very good friend of mine and also is one of the greatest talents that we have."

Nikhil being a friend as well further helped the cause for him, right?

"That's right, he is a friend of mine and I know him well. I know that he has the ability to do good work.

As for industry's perception of him after SALAAM E ISHQ, frankly I don't care because perceptions here change every Friday. One has to look beyond that. That he understands the film medium well was of top consideration", details Rohan.

How about Akshay Kumar? Didn't he have any inhibitions whatsoever about working with Nikhil?

"Not at all", Rohan is prompt in his reply, "Akshay too has very good faith in him and since we all were on the same page around how we wanted to approach the making of this film, it all turned out to be a well thought of decision."