'Laal Singh Chaddha' movie review: Kabhi khushi kabhi Gump

Laal Singh ChaddhaDirector Advait ChandanActors Aamir Khan Kareena Kapoor KhanRating Firstly Forrest Gump 1994 besides a film is also a metaphorphrase And it doesnrsquot mean someone slowdim witted as much as a person to whom things just happen as he breezily goes along mdash leading to an autobiography of the Everyman of sorts whorsquos inevitably at the right place at the right time Letrsquos say hersquos thoroughly blessed by the gods of nonfiction Irsquove met a few lsquoForrest Gumpsrsquo in my life Surely you have too Unless yoursquore a journalist who actively converses only to hear othersrsquo stories people often tell you theirs at odd places among strangers at a bar parkbench dating app airport hospitalOr the secondclass compartment of a train where Laal Singh Chaddha Aamir Khan is travelling to Punjab among passengers who are glued to his lifersquos phenomenal accounts Whatrsquos Laal Singh Chaddharsquos story Well thatrsquos this filmOnly that this manrsquos life runs parallel to the big stories of the societyIndia around him itself mdash through those years when he was accidentally right in the middle of rsquoem allYou could rap those momentous events like the Billy Joel song We didnrsquot start the fire rsquo83 World Cup Operation Blue Star rsquo84 riots Indira assassination Rath Yatra Mandal Commission Ram Janmabhoomi rsquo93 blasts Miss Universe Monica Bedi Kargil War Ajmal KasabhellipWhen was the last time I saw a Hindi film with similar synchronicity across time and locations between a man and his nationrsquos history The Salman Khanstarrer Bharat 2019 based on the Korean film Ode to my FatherLaal Singh is much superior Likewise Salman made Sultan 2016 a film on wrestling that Aamir subsequently bettered with Dangal the same yearThere is a lovely cameo of Shah Rukh Khan in this film Little Laal Singh in Shah Rukhrsquos younger days in Delhi first taught him the iconic hands outstretched dancemove Thatrsquos the level of quirky destiny the lead character is blessed with Hersquos equally blessed with quickly forgetting and moving onOr as a friend put it so well after this filmrsquos screening mdash itrsquos the story of a man who goes with the wind Contrasted with the girl Kareena Kapoor Khan who wants to determine that flow which because itrsquos frickinrsquo life you canrsquot Shersquos the head hersquos all heart Shersquos the tragedy against his comical fantasyBetween these two characters the only factcheck Irsquom likely to point out is how does Laal Singh make it to Delhirsquos prestigious Hindu College dude Maybe through sports quota But this is before he cracked the racing track putting into professional practice one of the many lifesaving lessons taught by his mom the absolutely lovely Mona Singh When in doubt runAs does Laal with pants above his belly slightly fitful breathing eyes wide open and a look of perpetual shock on his face Thatrsquos Aamir of course the perpetual lsquobehrupiyarsquo among Bollywood stars Also ReadLaal Singh Chaddha not ready for OTTEver since Ghajini 2008 it appears to me hersquos brought to life filmsroles chiefly to transform himself into another person which is the prime privilege of being an actor anyway to experience multiple lives in oneOnly that the physical transformation has been central to his parts I guess given Aamirrsquos public image of a lsquoperfectionistrsquo so to say simply derived from delivering a string of commercial superhits at the cinemas one doesnrsquot acknowledge enough the actor in him mdash constantly taking massive leaps of faith before the masses playing the fool often with parts that are fullon open to getting lampooned foreverIn the case of this film the hardwork likely to get overshadowed though is actually the directorrsquos mdash Advait Chandan This is his second film so lofty in its ambition compared to the intimate subdued Secret Superstar 2017 While Laalrsquos life plays out effortlessly the effort behind this film shows checking all the prominent boxes locations and cinematography Setu to start withAs for the adaptation from Hollywood mdash in his career Aamir has had a mixed reportcard with remakesinspirations in general For instance Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander 1993 gt Breaking Away 1979 Akele Hum Akele Tum 1995 lt Kramer v Kramer 1979 Ghajini and Memento 2000 ideally shouldnrsquot be compared and The Prestige 2006 references in Dhoom 3 2013 donrsquot even countThe idea here right from the opening song in Mohan Kannanrsquos mellifluous voice Kahaani is to create desi Forrest goose bumps While watching this film despite some editable stretches of selfindulgence you sense how timeless the Eric Roth script for Robert Zemeckisrsquos Forrest Gump 1994 wasYes this is the same story It is not the same film The Indian adaptation by Atul Kulkarni is totally seeped in desi earthy imaginationAnd the original mustnrsquot matter For whorsquos this film for The India that must watch its own story told so softly entertainingly And to give Laal Singh Chaddha the love he so sweetly innocently gives backWhich is also the adorable point of this pic isnrsquot it That good things happen to good people I know that only happens in the movies perhaps But isnrsquot that what we love the movies for

'Laal Singh Chaddha' movie review: Kabhi khushi kabhi Gump

Laal Singh Chaddha

Director: Advait Chandan

Actors: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan

Rating: ****

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Home / Entertainment / Bollywood News / Article / 'Laal Singh Chaddha' movie review: Kabhi khushi kabhi Gump

'Laal Singh Chaddha' movie review: Kabhi khushi kabhi Gump

Laal Singh Chaddha

Director: Advait Chandan

Actors: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan

Rating: ****

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast