If you don’t compare it with Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha is actually not a bad movie on its own.
Yes, I would have preferred it if Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chadda was a scene-by-scene remake of Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump and, at least, as long as the original. It would have allowed the different phases of Laal’s life to be more flushed, like in the original Hollywood movie.
The OG Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was obvious that this remake wouldn’t be better than 1994’s Forrest Gump. Remakes hardly turn out better than the original.
But if I compare it as a standalone movie on its own merit, it is not a bad movie in any sense. Even though the background score or music is not as good and memorable as the original, it is still better than what we are used to hearing in Bollywood movies these days. The last Bollywood movie score I was impressed by was Varun Dhawan starring October. That might be my favorite movie just for the music alone.
Anyway, coming back to Laal Singh Chaddha, Kareena Kapoor Khan was somehow wonderful in it. It was a solid performance from her after ages in Hindi cinema. Although some people complained about Aamir Khan’s portrayal being too close to the alien in PK, I could very easily differentiate between the characters. While PK was clueless and funny, Laal is innocent and sweet. I did not have any problem with Aamir’s portrayal of this character.
Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo was a good choice for replacing Elvis in the Indian remake. Mona Singh, Laal’s mother, performed well throughout as well. However, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the cast.
Overall, it is a heartwarming Hindi movie that we don’t get to see that often these days. I want to congratulate the team of Laal Singh Chaddha for being so brave to remake a masterpiece that is unanimously loved. That being said, I want to also point out that a remake doesn’t have to have its own spin. A scene-by-scene remake wouldn’t have raised any questions for a film like Forrest Gump.
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022): 7/10 ★★★★★★★☆☆☆