The eagerly awaited Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) seems to be a faithful, albeit Indianized, adaptation of the Oscar-winning Hollywood film Forrest Gump (1994) starring Tom Hanks.
Directed by Advait Chandan and adapted by Atul Kulkarni, Laal Singh Chaddha begins on a train with the titular character pondering life and destiny. The young Laal is seen with his legs in braces, which makes it difficult for the lad to walk properly. His fierce and devoted mother (Mona Singh) believes he is just like any other child his age.
Luckily, he has one steadfast friend Rupa, the older version of whom is played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, who supports him through his journey. We see the young Laal break his shackles and run, towards a future in the military. The film has de-aged the actor for these sequences.
There are a few glimpses of Naga Chaitanya as Laal’s friend in the army, and the later portions of Laal as an adult mirror many of the scenes in the Tom Hanks-starrer. The film has been shot at stunning locations that look amazing in this adaptation.
The iconic line, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get', gets upgraded with an Indian twist. It’s gol gappe instead of chocolates with which Laal imparts his mother’s famous advice.
Kareena Kapoor looks luminous in the film, while Aamir Khan adopts a different style of speaking for the feature. The film could be the comeback Khan has been looking for since the dud Thugs of Hindostan (2018).
Produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios, Laal Singh Chaddha is due to be released in theatres worldwide on 11 August. Check out the trailer here and let us know if you are keen to see the film.