Aamir Khan, in general, avoids awards functions and meetings. But seven years back, he made an exception. One that he may be ruing now. At the Ramnath Goeanka Awards function in New Delhi in 2015, Aamir was asked about the alleged growing intolerance in India. And the actor replied that he and his wife Kiran Rao (now separated) were alarmed by the situation in the country and seriously considered moving to some other nation.
Those words have come to haunt him ahead of the release of his Laal Singh Chaddha, which is an official remake of the 1994 Tom Hanks movie Forrest Gump.
A section of the public has raked up Aamir's words from the past and have called for a boycott of the film. Also, one of Aamir's previous movies PK is also being perceived to be against Hindu sentiments. So, there has been a concerted campaign on social media platforms against Laal Singh Chaddha, and it has got strident ahead of the film's release tomorrow (August 11). The film is being released in around 3500 screens across the country, and trade reports claim that pre-release booking is among the lowest ever for an Aamir film in recent times.
Can Laal Singh Chaddha match Forrest Gump?
Don't feel safe here then why release movie here? Go to your safe place as we know where you're heart lies#BoycottLaalSinghChaddha pic.twitter.com/ezhxuttiEpAugust 1, 2022
Aamir has tried to douse the fire, and in one of his interviews as part of the promotions, he said, "that Boycott Bollywood… Boycott Aamir Khan… Boycott Laal Singh Chaddha… I feel sad also because a lot of people who are saying this in their hearts believe I am someone who doesn’t like India… In their hearts, they believe that… And that’s quite untrue.”
The actor added, "I really love the country… That’s how I am. It is rather unfortunate if some people feel that way." Asking his fans and the audience to give his film a fair chance, Aamir further said, "I want to assure everyone that it’s not the case so please don’t boycott my films, please watch my films."
Apart from antagonistic groups, Laal Singh Chaddha is also up against Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan (directed by Aanand L Rai), which is also releasing on the same date.
Aside from these two battles, there is also the question whether Laal Singh Chaddha can match Forrest Gump, which won six Academy awards in 1994, including for the Best Film and the Best Actor for Tom Hanks.
To be sure, on paper, it seems a tough task for Laal Singh Chaddha. But the story about a slow-witted yet kindhearted man has got a positive response in one of the American movie sites, SlashFilm.
"Laal Singh Chaddha might still be as fitfully mawkish as 'Gump' in its tendency toward brazen sentimentality, but is a film more deliberately rooted in philosophies of gentleness. It is the superior version," the reviewer Witney Seibold said.
For Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir has teamed up with debutant screenwriter Atul Kulkarni and director Advait Chandan. The film, which is bankrolled by Aamir Khan Productions, Kiran Rao, and Viacom18 Studios, also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, and the Telugu star Naga Chaitanya Akkineni. The makers have tweaked the original and added elements that make it Indian.
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