Director
Advait Chandan
Cast
Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya
Watch the trailer
Aamir Khan’s stardom is an interesting phenomenon. The man takes his time making movies and when he finishes and releases one, he catches the attention of an entire nation. His success rate only adds to his massive credibility as a superstar who rarely fails, except of course for a few exceptions such as “Mela” and “Thugs of Hindostan”.
So when news of his creation of Tom Hanks’ 1994 classic “Forrest Gump” remake broke, it set off the domino effect that peaked with the film’s release. It made a huge noise, which its creators seek to convert into theatrical steps, which have proven rather slow and sometimes elusive for recent Bollywood releases.
Much like its original, “Laal Singh Chaddha” tells the story of a simple man and how he navigates life with his goodwill and values. It opens with the song “Kahani” (sung by Mohan Kannan), played against a rural landscape as a bird’s feather glides through various locations before landing at the titular character’s feet.
The film manages to keep the audience in their place, a rarity in today’s Bollywood movie culture, which fails to hold people’s attention. The screenplay was written by actor Atul Kulkarni, who worked with Aamir in ‘Rang De Basanti’, and who is his dear friend. It’s been very well crafted, except for the main characters’ love trail which otherwise drags it into several parts and doesn’t appear as naturally woven into the story.
Kulkarni compensates with the rest of the story as the film quickly moves through significant events in India’s recent history, fitting them seamlessly into the film’s plot, from the end of the emergency to victory. history of India in the World Cup in 1983, through Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indira Gandhi. , Mandal Commission, Ram Rath Yatra, 1993 Mumbai Bombings and Kargil War. The narrative unfolds seamlessly through these tectonic events.
The film’s director, Advait Chandan, who has been a longtime collaborator with Aamir in various capacities, did Kulkarni’s screenplay justice. The fight scenes in Kargil were carefully executed. Certain scenes, in fact, really have an impact and register well with the viewer.
The leader’s performance is a bit disappointing. Aamir Khan’s signature brilliance seems to be lacking in the dialogue-focused scenes, but he tests his strength with the scenes where there is no dialogue. He speaks with his face and his eyes, and in these scenes creates a hypnotic effect on the audience.
Mona Singh, last seen starring Aamir Khan in a small role in ‘3 Idiots’, is doing an honorable job as an on-screen mother (a tall order, given that the fearsome Sally Field played the role in the Hollywood original). She is exceptional as a strong single mother and farmer who drives a tractor through town and firmly believes that her supposedly unequal son deserves every chance.
Kareena, as we’ve come to expect, is more stellar than Monica Bedi’s moll gangster persona and Aamir’s love interest, even if that lead in the movie isn’t too well developed. She’s the perfect answer to stripper-dopehead Jenny from ‘Forrest Gump’.
Tollywood’s Naga Chaitanya, who is only known in the northern Telugu-speaking states for his high-profile divorce from Samantha Ruth Prabhu, fits effortlessly into the role of Bubba in “Forrest Gump.” Bubba becomes Bala, Aamir Kargil’s war partner who co-creates a ‘chaddi-banyan’ society with his comrade.
The production design doesn’t stand out as much as it should for a film set in contemporary history. Pritam’s music is good in places. ‘Phir Na Aisi Raat Aayegi’ is perhaps the best song on the album. It’s a track that grows over time as Arijit Singh’s voice gives it weight.
Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya seems a bit lost in the film. Known for giving Garland City some of the most iconic, sensitive and original tracks, Amitabh was meant to give ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ an anthemic track, but he seems to have taken a back seat.
“Laal Singh Chaddha” should strike a chord with the public, who must watch it despite what the trolls say, and if it does, it will finally end the creative drought that the Hindi film industry is currently experiencing. .
After seeing this film, one feels like saying, like Aamir’s character after having his favorite gol gappas, “Pet to bhar jaata hai, man nahin bharta (The stomach is full, but we want more).”
[With Inputs From IANS]
