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"Laal Singh Chaddha" | An emotional roller-coaster you can’t miss

 13 Aug 2022 1:40 PM GMT  |  Alen Paul

An emotional roller-coaster you can’t miss

Aamir Khan is a master at capturing audiences’ hearts and his latest film, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ is a perfect example of that.

Starring Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead, Advait Chandan’s directorial is a well-made desi version of hit Hollywood film ‘Forrest Gump’, released in 1994.

The Indianised version depicts Laal’s life story and his perspective on the world through his eyes, words and memories, which establishes an excellent form of storytelling by keeping viewers engaged in the first half.

From Laal spending his childhood with his single mother and best friend-turned-crush Rupa to finally being able to run without his leg braces through young Rupa’s memorable dialogue of ‘Bhaag Laal Bhaag’, viewers found themselves adoring young Laal.

In addition to the lovely scenes, the director also emphasised the tragic events, such as Operation Blue Star (1984) by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the plight of the people of Punjab after her assassination, which easily brought tears to the eyes. Given the sentiments of people these days, the director has not only carefully created sensitive scenes but has also accomplished in catching audience’s attention.

Advait Chandan very well knew how to relieve viewers from the film’s emotional baggage by bringing in the King of Romance, aka Shah Rukh Khan, in a cameo role. Watching young Laal teach SRK the latter’s signature pose is a hilarious treat one surely can’t miss!

The second half of the film, however, becomes slow, making it barely watchable. And just when the audience is about to lose interest comes Aamir Khan, once again, to warm the audience’s hearts through his humour as well intense dialogue delivery.

Having Kareena Kapoor Khan as Laal’s love interest was expected to have a greater impact in the film. But the viewers surprisingly found their expectations dip as her role was majorly side-lined from the first to the second half by Mona Singh, who plays Laal’s mother.

So, the romantic angle didn’t have much scope in the film but Mona’s acting skills stole the show. Her role as a single mother who braves the world’s dangers and shields her only child from the brutality of humans till her death is a common trope of a mother-son’s bond successfully merged in the film by the director.

From the supporting cast, Manav Vij and Naga Chaitanya delivered stellar performances in their respective scenes. Naga’s role as Bala and his friendship with Laal during their military training is a sure reminder of two peas in a pod. Ahmad Ibn Umar as young Laal is also worth watching.

With a well-written adapted screenplay by actor Atul Kulkarni, the film’s direction stays true to the essence of Laal Singh Chaddha’s innocence as he, in his own way, understands the importance of friendship and love in his life.

Cinematography is yet another excellent aspect of the entire movie. The film’s score by Pritam also deserve all the applause. Out of six songs, Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao’s track ‘Tere Hawaale’ is a soulful tribute to the reunion of Laal and Rupa’s love. Overall, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ is Khan’s signature film about a man’s extraordinary journey of friendship, happiness, heartbreak and love.

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