Laal Singh Chaddha

About the film

Laal Singh Chaddha is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Advait Chandan and written by Atul Kulkarni. The film is jointly produced by Paramount Pictures, Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios. It is a remake of the 1994 American film Forrest Gump, which itself is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film stars Aamir Khan as the title character alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya and Mona Singh.

The adaptation of Forrest Gump underwent a series of changes over a period of two decades, with Kulkarni spending the first ten years adapting the script, and another ten years purchasing the remake rights. Aamir Khan bought the rights to the film in early 2018 with the help of Los Angeles-based producer and director Radhika Chaudhari and announced the film officially on 14 March 2019, with its title. The film's score is composed by Tanuj Tiku, while its original soundtrack is composed by Pritam with their lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

Plot

Laal Singh Chaddha follows the life journey of Laal Singh Chaddha a kind-hearted Sikh man with a low IQ who recounts his extraordinary life during a train journey through Punjab. The story is set against significant historical events in India, weaving Laal's personal experiences with broader cultural and social themes. Laal is born in a village near Pathankot with physical challenges that affect his legs. Despite his difficulties, his supportive mother, Gurpreet Kaur Chaddha, instills in him the belief that he can achieve anything he desires. She works as a maid to secure Laal's admission to a local missionary school, where he befriends Rupa D'Souza, his only friend. Rupa dreams of a glamorous life and becomes a crucial part of Laal's world. As a child, Laal experiences various pivotal moments, including watching India's 1983 Cricket World Cup victory on television and witnessing Operation Blue Star during a visit to his aunt in Amritsar. He also unknowingly influences a young Shah Rukh Khan with his dance steps that the latter later incorporates into his acting career.

Laal's journey continues as he faces bullying at school, leading him to discover his extraordinary talent for running after a group of bullies break his leg braces. His athletic abilities earn him a place at Hindu College in Delhi. Rupa, meanwhile, begins to pursue modeling, further complicating their relationship. During his college years, Laal participates in significant political events, including the Mandal Commission protests and the Babri Masjid riots. After completing his education, he joins the Indian Army, following a family tradition of military service.

In the Army, Laal befriends Bala Raju Bodi, who shares his aspirations of starting an undergarment factory after their service. During the Kargil War in 1999, Laal displays remarkable bravery, saving multiple soldiers, including a Pakistani commander, without realizing his identity. His heroism earns him the Vir Chakra, but the loss of Bala during the conflict deeply affects him. After leaving the Army, Laal starts an underwear business named "Bala" in memory of his friend and his unspoken love for Rupa. However, he struggles with marketing his products. With the help of Mohammed Baaji, the Pakistani commander he saved, they rename the brand as "Rupa" and achieve significant success.

Production

In August 2018, Aamir Khan announced that he had purchased the remake rights of the 1994 American drama Forrest Gump, from Paramount Pictures, which produced the film, and also suggested he will play the lead role in this film. On 14 March 2019, coinciding with his 54th birthday, Khan officially announced the project which has been named Laal Singh Chaddha, with his ex-wife Kiran Rao co-producing the film. Advait Chandan, who previously directed Khan's Secret Superstar (2017), was signed in to direct the remake.

Kulkarni, who also worked with Khan in Rang De Basanti (2006), wrote the Hindi adaptation for the original. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Kulkarni said, "I wrote the script ten years ago, but Aamir took a couple of years because he did not believe that I must have written a good script. So he did not want to hurt me. After a few years, he heard the script and within 30 seconds he said I am going to do the film." Kulkarni also said that it took over seven years to get the remake rights from the makers of the original (Paramount), as the movie is solely based on the original. Once the studio confirmed with Radhika Chaudhari that the rights were available, Khan made a trip to Los Angeles in February 2018 and met with the studio heads along with Radhika Chaudhari and the process of acquisition started.

Mukesh Chhabra was assigned as the casting director of the film.

Music

The film score is composed by Tanuj Tiku while the original songs featured in the film are composed by Pritam, in his third collaboration with Aamir Khan after Dhoom 3 (2013) and Dangal (2016), with lyrics for the songs written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

The first song of the film Kahani was released on 28 April 2022. Sonu Nigam's song, Main Ki Karaan, was released on 12 May 2022. A song sung by Arijit Singh, Phir Na Aisi Raat Aayegi, released on 24 June 2022. The fourth song Tur Kalleyan took more than 6 weeks of shoot and was shot at multiple locations across India. The song was released on 15 July 2022. A second version of Kahani, sung by Sonu Nigam was released on 18 July 2022. Tere Hawaale, a duet sung by Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao, was released on 4 August 2022. The album was released through T-Series on 5 August 2022. An extended edition album featuring 5 additional tracks was released on 12 April 2023.

Key details