'Laal Singh Chaddha Review': Adapted Yet Unique, Aamir Khan & Kareena Kapoor Starrer Is An Entertaining Watch

Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is the adaptation of Tom Hanks starrer 'Forrest Gump'. Despite that, it has its own originality, a distinct storyline and a realistic plot that makes it relevant.

New Delhi: 'Kya pata hum mein hai kahani, ya hain kahani mein hum'. Aamir Khan starrer 'Laal Singh Chaddha' begins with these phenomenal lines that sets the mood of the film in the beginning itself. He takes along the audience on his journey, narrating interesting anecdotes of his life that he has lived and cherished all these years.

Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is the adaptation of the 1994 Academy Awards winning Tom Hanks starrer 'Forrest Gump'. Despite that, the film has its own originality, a distinct storyline and a realistic plot that makes it relevant and relatable. The dialogues and the sequences are similar to the original version to a great extent and yet, it has its own charm and essence that keeps the audience bound, till the very end. Another striking feature of the film is the impeccable performances by the star cast who deliver their roles to utmost perfection by getting into the skin of their characters.

Director Advait Chandan and writer Atul Kulkarni have done a commendable job by tweaking the storyline to make it relevant to the audience that they are catering to. Changing certain sequences from the original version, for example- how Laal's mother (played by Mona Singh) tries to get him admitted in a reputed school, depicts their thoughtful understanding of the social and cultural construct of the Indian society and the way the audiences' thoughts and emotions work. They have skillfully succeeded in lending out that uniqueness to the story and celebrating the classic element of 'Forrest', at the same time. The film beautifully weaves the country's socio-political highlights into the storyline including political rallies, beauty pageants, emergency, riots, controversial photoshoots, bomb blasts, crime and underworld and the historic Kargil War.

Coming to the performances, Aamir Khan once again proves why he is deemed as 'Mr. Perfectionist'. The actor, who plays the protagonist Laal, manages to make the audience root for him as he sends out a strong message by advocating humanity over religion. His dialogue, "Mazhab malaria paida kar sakta hai", evokes a thousand emotions and proves its relevance in present times. Though there are certain times when he gets too deeply engrossed in his character and loses connect with the audience, yet, he overall delivers his role to perfection. Kareena Kapoor Khan as 'Rupa' is phenomenal and deserves appreciation for her performance. She lends the required amount of emotions to her layered character and manages well to strike the right amount of balance between involvement and detachment.

Mona Singh surely wins hearts with her endearing performance as Laal's mother. She is the epitome of love and compassion who makes her son feel no lesser than any other child and guides him throughout with her thoughtful teachings and values. She gives a very strong message through one of the most iconic dialogues of the film, "Zindagi gol gappe jaisi hondi hai, pet bhar jaanda hai par mann nahi." Naga Chaitanya, who makes his Bollywood debut with 'Laal Singh Chaddha', marks his presence in the restricted screen space allotted to his character. Manav Vij as Mohammed is another character that stands out, courtesy his stellar performance. He not only performs his role with finesse but also lends the 'Forrest' touch to the film as he plays the character of Lieutenant Dan with slight changes.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kamini Kaushal's cameo is heartwarming and probably one of the biggest highlights of the film.

From dialogues to costumes, the makers of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' have tried their best to get the tone and tenor of the film, right. The lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Arijit Singh and Sonu Nigam make the tracks soulful. Every song perfectly blends with the ongoing situation in Laal's life, adding up to its effect.

If we draw comparison with 'Forrest Gump', Aamir Khan and his team have managed well to do justice to the adaptation leaving room for the audience to appreciate the film as a standalone.

'Laal Singh Chaddha' makes up for an entertaining watch. It has all the right elements of a family drama along with some strong messages, that will evoke the spirit of persistence in the viewer, to seek what the heart desires.