Review of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) by Tarekali — 15 Oct 2022

I was actually avoiding this movie for a while, borderline insulted by the attempt to remake the titanic epic Forrest Gump. I started watching it on a whim and was proven incredibly wrong. There are many ways to tell a timeless story, and this telling by director Advait Chandan is special and intimate.

Aamir Khan embodies the clean purity of the character, the rarest of souls, a person free of greed, ego or malice. Such a pure angel has no choice but to touch every person they meet, and to change them for the better.

His mannerisms and expressions are spectacular, he deserves recognition for this performance. The moments where he is overwhelmed by emotion are extremely moving and I was teary-eyed. I am not the biggest fan of Kareena and was not looking forward to her performance as the somewhat ungrateful Rupa, but she won me over.

His earnestness and honesty with Laal were endearing, and her final actions all the more rewarding. Absolute hats off to Mona Singh for outstanding performance as the mother of Laal, the constant northern star in his storied and varied life.

Her rooted practical approach to things beautiful and terrible reminds me of my own mother. The arc of this beautiful story is interwoven into the diverse history of India, a gigantic nation of a billion with thousands of people.

The scriptwriters did a fabulous job integrating Laal’s journey into the most eventful turning points in recent Indian history. In particular, in the context of the religious strife tearing India apart today, the journey of Mohammad Paaji towards seeing the presence of God in the enemy, to knowing all are touched by the divine, is very important.

The cinematography is breathtaking, and the vast expanses and spectacular beauty of India are beautifully captured in each frame. Finally, the soundtrack of Pritam washes over me like a warm scented breeze.

I was worried about who could top the original masterpiece by Alan Silvestri, but master Pritam rises to the occasion with his own signature. Each song is memorable and worth a thousand listens. In my eyes, this remake stands as tall as the original Forrest Gump.

I know the box office performance is lukewarm, but I think this movie will gain appreciation over time.