The much-anticipated movie “Laal Singh Chaddha” finally hit theatres on August 11 and is already receiving its first reviews. The film now has a fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating of 65% as of the time of writing. This Advait Chandan directorial has received positive reviews from most international newspapers.
Laal Singh Chaddha is an official Hindi remake of the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster “Forrest Gump,” which featured Tom Hanks in the titular role. The Hindi movie also stars Kareena Kapoor, Naga Chaitanya, and Mona Singh, while Atul Kulkarni has penned the screenplay. The narrative centres on Aamir’s character, a kind-hearted, naive man whose thinking has not developed since childhood. The narrative describes his life and connections as he unintentionally influences some of the significant figures and events of 20th-century India.
Alongside Hanks, the original film’s cast also included Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field. Let us see what critics have to say about the remake.
Laal Singh Chaddha Praised for Being a Tender, Humorous, And Well-Crafted Film
IndieWire’s Proma Khosla wrote in her review, “Instead of a box of chocolates or the obvious Indian equivalent, the film takes things a step further, adding strong depth and resonance to what could otherwise have been an unremarkable adaptation.” Fred Topel of United Press International is also impressed with the adaptation as he mentions, “Laal Singh Chaddha is faithful to Forrest Gump from the floating feather to the plot structure. Since the history is less vital to the narrative, it gives the story itself more weight, with some new thematic context.”
Slash Film’s Witney Seibold even called the film better than the original. “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. Despite how corny it is, the movie is unexpectedly disarming,” he added. JoySauce.com’s Siddhant Adlakha said about the film, “An effective (if messy) adaptation that not only localizes the specifics of Forrest Gump but translates its relationship with its setting, swapping the self-professed peace and prosperity of ’90s America for a more volatile and nationalistic climate.”
Some Say The Remake Does Nothing Different From The Original
The film has its fair share of negative reviews. TheWrap’s Carlos Aguilar points out the shortcomings of the movie. “What remains troubling about the essence of the premise, regardless of its language and cultural context, is that it insinuates the protagonist’s disposition for good and kindness derives from his cognitive disability,” he observes. Rating it 3/5, The Guardian’s Mike McCahill wrote, “Assiduously replicating its predecessor’s strengths and weaknesses, the one thing it risks is that a three-word summary – Hindi Forrest Gump – would tell you all you ever needed to know about it.”
Shubhra Gupta from The Indian Express thinks, “It’s not just the pace of the film which is the trouble. It is also, centrally and crucially, Sardar Laal Singh Chaddha himself, as played by Aamir Khan.” Nicolas Rapold from New York Times claims, “The movie’s charms are limited by what comes to feel like a coddling conceit.” Austin Chronicle’s J Hurtado was also less impressed. “Laal Singh Chaddha is Forrest Gump for people who thought the original film was too edgy, and that’s not a good place to be,” he wrote.
Catch Laal Singh Chaddha in cinemas now.
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