Laal Singh Chaddha movie review: Aamir Khan's film is endearing in parts but his Punjabi is unbearable

Laal Singh Chaddha movie review: Aamir Khan's film is endearing in parts

Movie cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, Naga Chaitanya, and others

Director: Advait Chandan

Duration: 2 hours 39 mintues

Where to watch: Theatres

Rating: 3 stars

Laal Singh Chaddha movie review

After having spent two years in an on-off lockdown state due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, 2022 was supposed to be the year of HOPE -- hope of bringing back the normalcy of the pre-pandemic era, hope of living in a world free of fear of contracting a deadly virus and hope of having the liberty to move around freely, without restrictions and guidelines. Aamir Khan's Laal in Laal Singh Chaddha is that hope. He is optimistic and congenial.

Laal Singh Chaddha dexterously handles the pessimism of the world around him that is fleetingly depicted in the film as decades go by from the 1970s to 2018, the year in which the movie ends. A tale of a slow-witted man narrating his biography to co-passengers in a train as he recounts world-altering events that he had witnessed while growing up and even participated in blissfully ignorant of their significance, Laal Singh Chaddha is a beautiful film adapted (NOT remade) almost flawlessly from Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump.

Helmed by Advait Chandan and screenplay by Atul Kulkarni, Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha -- the makers of which acquired the official rights to remake the iconic 1994 Hollywood film Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks, is as one can say a mere adaptation of Eric Roth's original storyboard. Roth's storyboard has been skillfully adjusted and blended into the Indian context and the country's history. Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha effortlessly replicates Forrest Gump's narrative structure, but to say the film has managed to outdo the original is a bit too much! Yes, Laal Singh Chaddha did get a few things spot on, even better than the original. But everything? Not so much.

READ: Laal Singh Chaddha Twitter review: Cine-goers call Aamir Khan's film 'remarkable', 'best movie experience'

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Just like Forrest Gump, Laal is a man with a low IQ and developmental issues but to say is he 'alag', well, his mom, essayed by the talented Mona Singh, won't have it. Laal lives a life without any restrictions as his mother supports, protects and encourages him in every step of his life, even from the malaria that spreads every now and then in the country (a metaphor for...find out what!!). Forrest's ability to deeply focus on one thing and make it happen helps him in becoming a fast runner. It helps him in escaping bullies in school, then in saving his and several others' lives in the Kargil War. The scene where the younger version of Aamir Khan loses his leg braces as his ladylove Rupa, played by Kareena Kapoor Khan, tells him, 'Bhaag, Laal, bhaag!' in a way symbolises Laal freeing himself from the shackles of society. 'Bhaag, Laal, bhaag', obviously picked from the original movie's "Run, Forrest, run" first shouted to Forrest by his childhood friend Jenny.

In Laal Singh Chaddha, makers have very artfully replaced Forrest's mother's adage "life is like a box of chocolates" with a line about golgappas. The Vietnam War in Forrest Gump is adapted in the Indian context to show how Laal fights in the Kargil War where he loses his friend Balaraju Bodi aka Bala (Chaitanya Akkineni). We also get to fleetingly see some world-altering events in the backdrop of the film as the plot furthers. From Operation Blue Star, 1984 Sikh riots, L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra, the Babri Masjid demolition, the 26/11 attacks, among others.

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From a champion athlete in college, training in the army to fighting in the Kargil War, Aamir's character throughout has a child-like innocence that is delightful but to say the actor has been able to portray that innocence immaculately onscreen would be wrong. In parts, Aamir's Laal draws too much from his characters in 3 idiots, PK and Secret Superstar.

Moving on, Laal makes sure he keeps the promise he made to his friend late Bala -- that of starting a 'chaddi-banyan' business together. Later, Aamnir's Laal, who is a successful entrepreneur of a chaddi-banyan business, becomes famous as he runs across the country because he just feels like it after Rupa abandons him.

Atul Kulkarni's move to refashion Forrest as a Sikh man, a character that belongs to India's minority, and one who witnesses the 1984 riots, is a masterstroke. The idea perfectly blends in with the plot. However, much to the disappointment, Aamir Khan tries too hard with his Punjabi and it's unbearable to say the least. Not only does Mr Perfectionist get the accent wrong, the dialogue delivery in most part comes to him with a lot of effort which is prominently visible in ever scene.

Aamir Khan's caricaturish portrayal of Laal with his eyes wide open and a not-so-occasional grunt, also might make it a little difficult for you to sit through the film. On the other hand, Atul Kulkarni's screenplay will make you want to watch Laal Singh Chaddha till the end. Beyond adapting Forrest Gump in the Indian context, Laal Singh Chaddha on the whole sticks to the original film.

Just like Forrest, Laal remains devoted to his childhood love Rupa even as he goes through ups and downs in his life. His unwavering love for Rupa who he first meets in school, is romantic is its own way. The scenes between Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan are mature and will somewhat tug at your heartstrings. Kareena's acting is subtle and impactful. Kareena's Rupa, an aspiring actress, who's had a troubled childhood as she witnesses her mother being physically abused, self-destructs as she gets trapped in the showbiz world. But Laal's love for her is unconditional and limitless. The two unite in the end, only to be separated by destiny.

Coming to the performances by supporting cast, Mona Singh is outstanding as Laal's mother. In some scenes she might just end up making you shed a tear or two. Naga Chaitanya as Bala fully commits to the director's vision and delivers a commendable performance in the brief time he's seen onscreen.

In the end, one can say that though Aamir Khan's film Laal Singh Chaddha has made a valiant effort to deliver a message of forgiveness, optimism and compassion during these tumultuous times in the country where the language row, the North vs South debate are creating a rift in the nation and social media boycott trends and cancel culture built on false narratives are fostering hatred, it hasn't been as impactfully delivered as it was intended to be.