“Laal Singh Chaddha” follows Laal (Aamir Khan), as he unwittingly finds himself in the midst of pivotal events in Indian history (just the way Forrest Gump finds himself living through American history), oblivious to the magnitudes of what he witnesses and yet a key player throughout. Well, at least until 2014.
As the movie opens, we get what possibly is the longest disclaimer put in any Indian film (yet). You start wondering, is the movie really going to take into account those turbulent incidents? Had the makers gone for something so incisive and compelling, “Laal Singh Chaddha” would've come out as a greatly reformative exercise of remaking a classic. But given the many ways of deploying hate inciting mobs that the current establishment is capable of, the filmmakers here make a film so inoffensive, that it doesn't quite reach its thematic highs. And yet, the movie's reception and the organized boycott campaign(s) unleashed against it makes you wonder how afraid the current regime might be of a mainstream movie trying to simply propagate peace and harmony in today's intolerant climate.
“Forrest Gump” was a product of its own time; its conservative themes and the idea that being American implies that fate would naturally lend you great achievements, drew major criticism over the years. The character of Laal Singh, acts as a reminder to the collective loss of conscious awakening that comes with the loss of innocence. The movie, though quixotic, soars above pretension and artifice by the magnitude of its rich sentiments. You can watch it now on Netflix.
