A remake of Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha is going to seem incoherent to anyone who’s not seen the original. Has some feel-good moments but one is too distracted by Aamir Khan’s maniac, bulging eyes and OTT acting.
Read Full Laal Singh Chaddha Movie Review –
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, Naga Chaitanya
Rating: 2/ 5
Runtime: 2h 39m
Laal Singh Chaddha will seem bizarre AF if you haven’t seen Forrest Gump. And if you have indeed seen the Tom Hanks starrer, you’re going to be perplexed to see Aamir hamming his way through the portrayal of a neurodivergent character. Rightfully reminiscent of his PK role.
Mona Singh really shines in comparison in this movie. Kareena Kapoor looks gorgeous and gives a restrained performance but has limited screen time.
Storyline:
Born with a low IQ and back disability, Laal Singh Chaddha miraculously overcomes it and runs through life, brimming with optimism and naivety.
Like Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha follows the titular character’s journey through momentous moments in Indian history. Events from the Emergency era, Operation Blue Star, assassination of India Gandhi, and the Babri Masjid demolition are woven into the narrative.
Elvis’s cameo in the original is taken over by Shah Rukh Khan’s montage. The Kargil war replaces the Vietnam war. Naga Chaitanya steps into Bubba’s role, sporting protruding gums (which never even get alluded to) and the shrimp business becomes the chaddi baniyan business, ultimately revealed to be Rupa Corporate.
Instead of Lieutenant Dan, bizarrely we have Chaddha saving a Pakistani terrorist in the Kargil War who later becomes his business partner and a do-gooder.
Kareena Kapoor appears as Chaddha’s childhood sweetheart Rupa D’souza. Scarred by domestic violence in a poor household, Rupa’s ambition is to chase after wealth, glamour and fame. Which places her in the path of a dangerous (gangster) producer.
What Do We Think?
Talking about the casting, in spite of the digital de-ageing both Aamir and Kareena look too old for the characters that they’re playing for the most part. Enough that it is jarring.
While some events from Indian history are seamlessly fitted into the screenplay, some don’t feel organic, especially the Kargil War sequence. LSC’s treatment of Manav Vij (Lieutenant Dan’s character) is also very weird.
While the cinematography is classic, it is too hard to look past Aamir’s wide-eyed, caricaturish acting with occasional grunting. Kareena and Mona appear more natural in their performance in contrast. Mona hits the nail right on the head as Laal Singh Chaddha’s mother. (But the 17-year age-gap factor between Mona-Aamir still sticks out like a sore thumb)
Overall, it is a more sanitised version of Forrest Gump. Talking about the golgappa analogy – I liked it better than the original one with chocolate. (Also, no they don’t sell golgappa on train, LSC carries them around with a separate pani puri water bottle. Golgappa hack for the win!)
Hit Or Miss:
Watch in theatres if you’re hardcore Aamir Khan fan. Or else better go rewatch the original Forrest Gump.
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