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‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ Review: India Gets a ‘Forrest Gump’ Remake That Stands on Its Own

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A short way into “Laal Singh Chaddha,” the Indian adaptation of “ Forrest Gump ” from Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios, the film shows its true colors. After an opening sequence that follows a CGI feather — just like the one in Robert Zemeckis’ 1994 film — we meet our hero Laal (Aamir Khan), an amiable Sikh man who boards a train with small red box in hand. As Laal begins chatting with an uninterested seatmate, audiences will likely be tempted to take in the “Forrest Gump” of it all, ready for him to crack open a classic Indian mithai box and offer sweets to his fellow passengers.

The box, it turns out, is full of gol gappe . Not sandesh or barfi or soan papdi or any other sweet, but the crisp rounds of hollow bread that Indians crack open and fill with peas, potatoes, seasoning, and delicious, spicy water that looks like it came straight from the gutter. 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.

If any Hollywood film lends itself to full-tilt Bollywood melodrama, it’s this one, but “Laal Singh Chaddha” measures its emotional beats tactically, deploying poignant punches sporadically throughout. Knowing the major plot points and overall arc of “Forrest Gump” does not dull this version’s impact in the slightest, as screenwriter Atul Kulkarni builds out a rich world for Laal that feels wholly independent from Forrest’s.

“Laal Singh Chaddha” makes its way to the screen after 20 years in purgatory: there was the decade of writing by screenwriter Kulkarni, followed by another 10 years of Kulkarni acquiring rights to the original. As the rare Indian remake to actually have the official remake stamp of approval, the film is free to follow Eric Roth’s original storyboard, now steeping it in Indian cultural, historical, and religious elements every step of the way. The “Laal Singh Chaddha” team excels at this; from the rising star who loves Laal’s dance moves to the scene where he loses his leg braces (“ Bhaag , Laal, bhaag !”) to the eccentric companion he finds in the army who can’t stop talking about his family business (sewing underwear).

The lazy version of adapting a film internationally is changing its location, cast, and little else, but Kulkarni is meticulous about finding not only the “Indian version” of each “Forrest Gump” beat but infusing it with the same charm that made the 1994 film so indelible.

Khan plays the role like he’s been doing it for years, and in a sense he has; his Laal is instantly evocative of PK, the alien he played in a 2014 film of the same name — a little naïve, a little eccentric, and ultimately good-natured. He captures original star Tom Hanks’ memorable body language and speech patterns with a full beard and turban and lilting Punjabi dialogue that translates even lines as famous as “and that’s all I have to say about that.”

The film espouses religious tolerance, tracking violence between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs from the 1970s to India’s present, with messaging stopping just shy of preachy (leaving that to films like “PK” itself). It’s no accident that the character is Sikh (though Khan is not) or the timeline shifted to capture some of the country’s most bloody and shameful conflicts in recent memory, such as 1984’s Operation Blue Star and subsequent anti-Sikh riots or the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir. Life connects Laal to various languages, regions, and religions, but the only thing that bothers him is the bloodshed.

Alongside Khan is his three-time costar Kareena Kapoor as childhood friend Rupa, Mona Singh as Laal’s mother, and Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya in a triumphant Hindi-film debut. All of them find the film’s tone with ease, thanks to Advait Chandan’s direction and also the ubiquity of the original. Chaitanya’s scenes with Khan are particularly electric, a chemistry then handed off to Manav Vij as a clever alternative to Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise).

Shot all over India, the film proudly showcases everything from the mustard fields of Punjab to the urban splendor of New Delhi (Laal’s four-year jog around the country helps, as does Satyajit Pande’s cinematography). The soundtrack includes songs in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu from Bengali composer Pritam, plus the cast and crew. It is meant to showcase a nation as dense and diverse as India as comprehensively as possible, a task Roth and Zemeckis never had to tackle, and for which Kulkarni and Chandan deserve a whole box of gol gappe .

A Paramount Pictures release, “Laal Singh Chaddha” will hit theaters on Thursday, August 11.

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‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ Review: Forrest Gump in India

This Indian adaptation of “Forrest Gump” doubles down on its Pollyanna hero, substituting different historical touchstones.

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By Nicolas Rapold

“Forrest Gump” has been called many things: a feel-good crowd-pleaser, a maddening piece of pap, and America’s version of Voltaire’s “Candide” ( per the film scholar Dave Kehr ). “Laal Singh Chaddha” offers up a fresh look: a luxuriantly produced Indian adaptation that doubles down on the story’s simpleton hero, with new historical touchstones.

In the film’s framing device, Laal (Aamir Khan, the star of the 2001 crossover hit “Lagaan” ) recounts his life story to passengers on a train. He grows up bullied because of his leg braces, despite his protective mother (Mona Singh), but he befriends a classmate, Rupa (Kareena Kapoor Khan), and later pines for her.

The Gumpian formula of comical serendipity plays out as Laal accidentally becomes a track-and-field star, inspires a signature dance, rescues friend and foe during a mountain skirmish, and earns millions manufacturing underwear. The famous box of chocolates is reimagined, sweetly so: life is now like a golgappa (a crisp fried treat).

In Advait Chandan’s film, traumatic national history gets a therapeutic recap: the military conflict in which Laal shows the power of compassion is the Kargil war, while the assassination of Indira Gandhi and sectarian riots also figure into the plot. (Laal is Sikh but only barely grasps these violent events.)

Though treated as noble, Laal’s naïve optimism doesn’t rise to much more than the notion of having a good attitude. Khan’s portrayal suggests a cross between a lesser Farrelly Brothers comedy and “Being There,” and seems ill-suited to Rupa’s grim later experiences married to an abusive producer. The movie’s charms are limited by what comes to feel like a coddling conceit.

Laal Singh Chaddha Rated PG-13 for some violent content, thematic elements and suggestive material. In Hindi, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 39 minutes. In theaters.

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Laal Singh Chaddha review: Aamir Khan's feel-good film doesn't even try to stand out, merely apes Forrest Gump

Laal singh chaddha review: aamir khan's forrest gump adaptation does not even try to introduce elements that would make it look somewhat different from the original..

The box of chocolate gets replaced by a box of golgappas. A bench in the garden turns into a train seat. What remains the same is the story, characters, emotions and the broad narrative. An official adaptation of internationally acclaimed Forrest Gump (1994) starring Tom Hanks, Laal Singh Chaddha is a feel-good film that doesn't say anything extraordinarily different or in an exceptional way that you stand up and applaud. It's a Hindi remake of an an iconic Hollywood film and that's about it. It doesn't even try to introduce elements that would make it look somewhat different. Also read: Aamir Khan refused to read Atul Kulkarni's Laal Singh Chaddha script for two years

Mind you, the remake is being made after three decades. It's difficult to believe how the makers have conveniently not taken into consideration how the sensibilities of movie-watching audiences have change since then. Director Advait Chandan, who earlier helmed Secret Superstar, also starring Aamir Khan , has stayed true to the predecessor (Forrest Gump) and hasn't taken any risk that may backfire. Atul Kulkarni's screenplay could have added some freshness in the writing with some newer tweaks. In the end, it's as good as watching as subtitled version of Forrest Gump.

What I thoroughly enjoyed and cherished onscreen is Aamir Khan's earnest performance as Laal Singh Chaddha. That's perhaps the only major, evident and in-your-face difference — his character's physical appearance, the overtly talkative fellow who's low on IQ but is a great storyteller. I mean it's no easy feat to make a disinterested woman (sitting on the opposite seat to Laal's) at first, get so engrossed in his story. Eventually all the passengers travelling in that train compartment are listening to Laal's anecdotes with so much curiosity and interest. Aamir gets into Laal's skin quite deep and makes him a likeable character. Called Mr Perfectionist for a reason, Aamir gives his 100% and delivers the best he could to the character written for him. Call it caricaturish or cartoonish, but Aamir's Laal does evoke empathy.

Complimenting Laal is the flawless Kareena Kapoor as his love interest Rupa D'Souza, who looks beautiful in every frame. Honestly, if there's anyone in Bollywood who doesn't need de-ageing, it's Kareena. Reprising Jenny's character from the original, Rupa is far more vulnerable, docile and sensitive. Hers is the only character whose storyline has some tweaks and you wish there was more shown of her character arc. The reference to Laal and Rupa being together as 'aaloo and gobi' sounded funny yet cute.

Setting Laal's story in a timeline that covers historic events including Blue Star operation, 1983 World Cup Victory, Indira Gandhi's assassination, 1984 sikh riots, Sushmita Sen's Miss Universe crowning, Kargil War make for interesting and engaging elements and they blend well with the narrative. However, Laal's personal timeline from being a kid to a teenager does look a bit off at times and he appears to be exactly same age and height for many years. However, the child actor (Ahmad Ibn Umar), who plays young Laal is so cute and has such a pleasant screen presence. His expressions and whatever few lines he speaks moves you. There's a Shah Rukh Khan cameo, which is easily the show stealer.

At two hours 39 minutes, the film is way too long and does get a tad boring too. While I loved Forrest and Bubba's track in the original, the plot with Laal and his fellow army officer Bala ( Naga Chaitanya ) is rather underwhelming. The particular sequence set against the drop back of Kargil War could have been written and shot in a much better way. Imagine Bubba's shrimp business from Forrest Gump was turned into Bala's chaddi baniyan business in Laal Singh Chaddha. It can't get more desi than this. Though the track with Manav Vij and Laal touches your heart and doesn't look forced in the script. Lastly, Mona Singh as Laal's mother is endearing and looks authentic in a role of a Sikh woman, who doesn't look odd with her Punjabi diction.

It's difficult to talk about Laal Singh Chaddha in isolation and not draw comparisons with Forrest Gump. If you haven't seen the original, I suggest you watch Aamir's film first and you'd then you would know for yourself if you indeed want to watch the original. The loyal Forrest Gump fans, I feel, won't really be super impressed by this remake, which remains a faithful adaptation, loyal tribute because yeah, that's what we have been seeing in all official remakes so far. Watch Laal Singh Chaddha for ace performances from Aamir and Kareena and that cute kid.

• Laal Singh Chaddha

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Mona Singh, Naga Chaitanya, Manav Vij

Director: Advait Chandan

• Kareena Kapoor
• Naga Chaitanya

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'laal singh chaddha' review: aamir khan lets his idealism colour this drama, the remake of 'forrest gump' is a lengthy, but feel-good story set in the heart of india.

Ambica Sachin

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How do you transform a Hollywood classic like Forrest Gump , seeped in American history and ethos, into an Indian story over two decades later? Just watch Laal Singh Chaddha to realise how the magic of story telling can, in the hands of talented artists, metamorphose into an artwork that harks back to the original yet takes on a life of its own.

An official remake of the Tom Hanks-led Forrest Gump , Laal Singh Chaddha directed by Advait Chandan ( Secret Superstar ), places its protagonist Laal pat in the middle of 70s Punjab, where as a young boy (played with cherubic innocence by Ahmad Ibn Umar) saddled with physical disabilities and a slow mind, he is encouraged to believe ‘all is well’ with himself by a motivating mother (very aptly cast Mona Singh).

Laal stumbles through life, armed with unwavering optimism, but we are swept along on the uplifting journey, buoyed by extreme idealism. The Bollywood superstar plays the naive Laal with a familiar wide-eyed expression ( P.K ) and an oddly distracting speech mannerism. But the consummate actor Khan is, he never loses grip on his bumbling act.

Laal Singh Chaddha props its unheroic protagonist in a typical Bollywood setting, bursting at the seams with goodness - a loving mother, a gorgeous girlfriend and an extremely loyal friend martyred too early. Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya, as Laal’s barrack buddy, Bala from Bodipalem, obsessed with his family’s underwear business, is a bit grating admittedly, but impactful.

There are very many incredulous moments in the script that will leave you gobsmacked, but the effervescent quality of the movie gently propels you on.

Kareena Kapoor Khan as Rupa (the baniyan reference is a stroke of genius on the part of the writers) looks and acts the role of a fragile girl emotionally impacted by domestic violence. It’s a pity that her arc in the story, however dark and distressing, never actually takes center stage.

She is always in the periphery running from her own demons and forced to pay a heavy price for daring to pursue her dreams. Bollywood, as an industry, doesn’t come off smelling of roses either in the tragic story of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes who is exploited by the powers that be.

Laal and Rupa’s life stories play out almost as a contrast between destiny and dreams - while the former is willing to let life dictate his moves, the latter struggles to realise her dreams. Sadly, the movie does not give her closure, just as life, we guess.

Atul Kulkarni’s brilliant adaptation places Laal Singh Chaddha in the midst of some of modern India’s most historic moments. Headline-grabbing events such as the assassination of Indira Gandhi, India’s World Cup win, the Mandal Commission and the Kargil wars all play out side-by-side as Laal bumbles about, only seeing the goodness in the world around him. The soulful soundtrack helps to keep us emotionally connected to the script.

We could harp on the saccharine idealism that weighs down the lengthy movie with messages about universal brotherhood; love is the solution to all ills, etc, sprinkled liberally around. But in the current scenario, a surfeit of feel-good factor and wide-eyed optimism isn't exactly the worst thing to come away with at the end of a movie, is it?

Laal Singh Chaddha

Director: Advait Chandan

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Mona Singh

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Laal Singh Chaddha is currently playing in UAE theatres

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Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)

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Laal Singh Chaddha Review: Aamir Khan's Film Is Watchable, Flaws Notwithstanding

Laal singh chaddha review: a de-aged aamir khan throws all that he has into the role and comes up with a simpleton who is wondrously loveable..

A still from Laal Singh Chaddha trailer. (courtesy: Viacom18 Studios )

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya

Director: Advait Chandan

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Reworking a 1994 Hollywood drama centred on the Vietnam War into an Indian story that pans out over several decades later wouldn't have been a cakewalk. But screenwriter Atul Kulkarni makes a fair fist of it, giving star Aamir Khan enough room for the emotional manoeuvrings that are required to flesh out a dorky but doughty man coming to terms with the complex world around him without ever losing his innocence, optimism and gumption.

Deftly crafted and consistently well-acted - a de-aged Aamir Khan throws all that he has into the role and comes up with a simpleton who is wondrously loveable - the film's principal strength stems from its stress on the power of hope in a time of violence and venality.

Late in Laal Singh Chaddha , donning a spanking new pair of shoes and on a whim, the unassuming protagonist goes on a run across the country. People join him as he sprints from one part of India to another. Unity in diversity isn't a particularly original idea, but its reiteration, no matter in what form, has never been more necessary.

India is in the midst of a level of social and political turmoil that it has rarely encountered since it gained independence. Laal Singh Chaddha could, at one level, be seen as an attempt to lull us into a false sense of ease. That is exactly what the conservative-minded Forrest Gump had attempted to do (with a great degree of success) in the US of A in the decades following the disastrous Vietnam War and the fallout of the Watergate scandal.

India isn't merely dealing with the aftermath of a cataclysmic event. It is in the midst of one. The journey of Laal's chequered life parallels that reality. Parts of the overlong film are occasionally monotonous and underwhelming. But given its overall intent, Laal Singh Chaddha does serve a significant purpose: it celebrates humanity in the face of hate and discord.

Here is a man who is slow-witted and, therefore, able not to let the ill wind sweeping across the land corrupt him. At the personal level, too, he is undaunted by the challenges that life throws at him. The love of his mother Gurpreet Kaur (Mona Singh), who has fought tooth and nail to ensure that her son is never treated as a boy with a disability, and his childhood friend Rupa (Kareena Kapoor Khan), who has never lost her faith in him, keep him going.

In a quirky aside, a short trip to Delhi brings a cherubic Laal, still a boy in his leg braces, face to face with a pre-stardom Shah Rukh Khan, who learns a thing or two from Laal about dancing. This lovely sequence - a wonderfully localised twist that is bound to bring an unadulterated smile to every lip - stands in for the Elvis Presley encounter that Forrest Gump has with the future King of Rock & Roll in his mom's boarding house.

Laal shakes off his leg braces as a boy when chased by a trio of bullies on their bicycles. He turns into a phenomenal runner. He lands a job in the Indian Army where he befriends Balaraju Bodi (Naga Chaitanya in a superb cameo), the equivalent of shrimp trader Bubba, and makes plans for an entrepreneurial future with him. Bala's family is in the underwear manufacturing business.

War intervenes and Laal is sent off to fight in Kargil. He suffers a tragic personal loss but he soldiers on regardless, his memories of Rupa his constant companion. Since Laal Singh Chaddha is an official remake, the storyline is known. It is the changes, minor and not-so-minor, that keep one's interest alive.

A riff on his PK persona, Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha is as much an alien struggling to figure out what is going on and fit into a world that isn't as accommodative as he is. The film, adapted from Eric Roth's original 1990s screenplay, indigenizes the plot in interesting ways and finds points of departure that, more often not, strike a chord.

The bus stop bench of Forrest Gump is replaced here with a train compartment - rail voyages are known to fuel many a timeless story in this diverse country. Forrest's box of chocolates makes way for a little dabba of golgappas (another typically Indian twist). Laal and Rupa's inseparability, in the hero's own words, is " aloo de saath gobhi " instead of "peas and carrots". It is only logical that salad mutates into curry here.

On the train, Laal narrates his life experiences to a receptive bunch of listeners. He pieces together a story that is as much about him and his loves and friendships as about his impressions about a nation hurtling through a slew of upheavals.

Laal Singh Chaddha , the sophomore venture of director Advait Chandan ( Secret Superstar ), places the protagonist against the backdrop of major political developments of contemporary Indian history from the lifting of the Emergency in 1977 to the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement of 2011.

Operation Bluestar, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the anti-Sikh riots, the anti-Mandal agitation, Lal Krishna Advani's rath yatra , the Babri mosque demolition, the Mumbai riots and serial blasts of the early 1990s, the Kargil war of the late 1990s and the Mumbai terror attack of 2008. Sushmita Sen's Miss Universe title (1994) also finds a mention among events that leave a dent on Laal's mind.  

In his younger days, Laal's mother keeps warning him not to venture out because desh vich malaria phaileya hua hai (the nation is in the grip of malaria). Later in the film, somebody says mazhab malaria phailata hai (religion spreads malaria). Laal sails through the fractious times because he believes in humanity in a manner that more cynical minds cannot.

A major tweak that Kulkarni's script effects pertains to the character of Forrest Gump 's commanding officer Lieutenant Dan Taylor. In Laal Singh Chaddha , he is done away with and replaced with an enemy camp (Manav Vij) whose fate is yoked to Laal's. Just a tad contrived.

Aamir Khan holds the fort with an unfailing hand, etching out, with warmth and empathy, a man who knows too little to be thrown off by a world in flux. Kareena Kapoor Khan, too, is in fine fettle as Laal's unfailing lodestar.

Where Laal Singh Chaddha goes just a touch wrong is in turning Rupa D'Souza into an infallible angel untouched by the grave wounds that life inflicts on her.

Robin Wright Penn's Jenny Curran in Forrest Gump was a woman who had scars hidden in plain sight, which helped her exude the resilience of an anti-war activist who has borne the brunt of life's many reverses and lived to tell the tale.

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

Kareena's Rupa is a near-goddess, a woman who sems to be above mortal pain despite receiving her share of knocks, which robs the character of some of her sheen. It does not, however, take anything away from the performance.

One could say pretty much the same about Laal Singh Chaddha . Its flaws notwithstanding, it is a highly watchable film that hits the right buttons for the most part.

Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya

Advait Chandan

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We are all untouchables: a bollywood ballad:discussed by omer mozaffar.

After commenting on George Clooney as Hollywood star, and as star of the very excellent Jason Reitman film UP IN THE AIR, I decided to shift attention to a similar figure in Bollywood cinema: Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan is the star of the most successful Bollywood movie in history, the comedy THREE IDIOTS. Like Clooney (and perhaps Redford before him) he uses his star power to make serious movies, with the most famous being LAGAAN. Here, in MANGAL PANDEY: THE RISING we look at this story of one of the respected heroes of Indian cultural memory.

On the surface, the film continues the popular David vs. Goliath anti-imperialist genre we find in such films as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, KING OF KINGS, LION OF THE DESERT, THE BATTLE FOR ALGIERS, some revisionist westerns like THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, the TV miniseries MASADA, BRAVEHEART,

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Aamir Khan’s New Movie: Tepid Opening And Mixed Reviews

Swarajya Staff

Aug 11, 2022, 03:44 PM | Updated 03:45 PM IST

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Aamir Khan's new movie Lal Singh Chaddha is off to a tepid start as top film critics have panned the film for lacking a "captivating screenplay" as well as "caricaturish" acting by the Bollywood star.

A remake of Forrest Gump, the film which also features Kareena Kapoor Khan has been off to a slow start despite being immensely promoted in the run up to its release.

According to reports, an average occupancy of around 15-20 per cent is being registered for the morning shows of the movie.

The Aamir Khan-starrer movie has reportedly seen a lower rate of ticket sales in tier two and tier three cities compared to Akshay Kumar's Raksha Bandhan, which also released this week.

The tepid response to Lal Singh Chaddha can also be attributed to the fact that the movie has received mixed reviews from critics.

Noted movie critic Taran Adarsh has said that the Aamir Khan-starrer movie "lacks fire" as well as a "captivating screenplay". In his one-word review, Taran said that the movie "disappoints".

"Aamir Khan’s comeback vehicle LSC [Lal Singh Chadha] runs out of fuel midway… Lacks a captivating screenplay to enthrall you [second half goes downhill]… Has some terrific moments, but lacks fire in totality," Taran said in a tweet.

In her review, India Today's Nairita Mukherjee has slammed Aamir Khan's "caricaturish" acting, which, according to her, ruined the movie.

She added that the movie would have done better if it wasn't touted as official adaptation of the Tom Hanks-starrer Forrest Gump.

"Perhaps if Aamir had surrounded himself with lesser actors, his performance would have looked better in comparison. Perhaps if the makers hadn't really called it the official Hindi adaptation of Forrest Gump, and just another movie like Salman Khan's Bharat - which, by the way, is very Forrest Gump-like - Laal Singh Chaddha would have appealed more," she said.

However, some other critics have praised the movie for being "faithful" to the beats of its source material, despite few changes in the film.

• Taran Adarsh
• Lal Singh Chaddha

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Aamir Khan reveals release date of his next film Sitaare Zameen Par: ‘Unlike Taare Zameen Par, this film will…’

Aamir khan recently shared an update about his next film, sitaare zameen par. the actor promised that the film will leave the audience in laughter..

Bollywood star Aamir Khan attended the screening of his production venture, Laapataa Ladies, along with the film’s director and his former wife, Kiran Rao at IIM Bengaluru on Tuesday. At the screening, he also addressed the queries of his curious fans about his next film as an actor. Aamir was last seen in Advait Chandan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, which was released in 2022.

Aamir talked to the media after the screening of Laapataa Ladies, where he was asked about the release of his next film. The actor shared an update about the same: “I started shooting for my next film last week. We are trying to release it on Christmas this year. Let’s hope it comes by Christmas.” Aamir was talking about his next film, Sitaare Zameen Par, which he announced last year.

In an earlier interview, during the promotions of Laapataa Ladies. Aamir spoke about Sitaare Zameen Par and said, “I have started shooting for my new film, Sitaare Zameen Par from February 1. It is the next level of Taare Zameen Par, it is like part 2. It is not the same story and the characters are also not the same.”

Also read | Aamir Khan on taking break from films, when he’s likely to return: ‘Spending time with family, will come back after 1 year’

The actor continued, “The theme is the same but the difference is, unlike Taare Zameen Par, which left you with tears, Sitaare Zameen Par will leave in laughter. Prasanna is directing it and it is an entertaining film. We are looking at the same topic but with a different perspective.”

Aamir Khan took a one-year sabbatical after his film, Laal Singh Chaddha , an official remake of Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump, tanked at the box office.

Speaking at the screening of Salaam Venky in 2022, in which he had a cameo appearance, Aamir had said, “I am not doing anything. For last many years, I have been working continuously so right now I want to spend some time with my family. Paani foundation ka bhi kaam chal rha hai, aur bhi thoda kaam chal rha hai , so I will come back to acting after an year.”

Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates . Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express .

PSEB announces Class 5 exam results on April 1 at 3 pm. Girls outshine boys with a pass percentage of 99.74%. Transgender students achieve a perfect 100% pass rate. Marksheet includes student's name, roll number, parents' names, school name, total score, and subject-wise marks. Overall pass percentage increases slightly from 2022 to 2023.

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'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' Director Ali Abbas Zafar Wishes To Do Action Films With SRK, Aamir & Ajay Devgn

In the past, zafar has collaborated with salman khan on films such as “tiger zinda hai”, “sultan”, and “bharat”..

New Delhi: His upcoming film “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” features action stars like Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, and going forward filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar says he wants to direct Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn in separate movies in the genre.

In the past, Zafar has collaborated with Salman Khan on films such as “Tiger Zinda Hai”, “Sultan”, and “Bharat”.

“I want to work with all the actors in the industry, but definitely on my wish list are Aamir sir, Shah Rukh sir, and Ajay Devgn. I want to do action (films) with them. It will be a different kind of action with each of them,” the director told PTI in an interview.

His primary objective, Zafar said, is to develop a unique kind of action movie that challenges each of these superstars.

“Like, ‘Sultan’ is a sports drama, but it also has action. You have to make an action film for every different actor which is customised for them or brings them out of their comfort zone.

“It's a dream for any director to work with all those guys. They've been here for 30-35 years, and the kind of fan base that they have is amazing. So, let's see, fingers crossed,” he added.

Citing the example of “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan”, the filmmaker said the script demanded two action stars, which is why Kumar and Shroff are headlining his latest movie.

“What is most important is that you should be honest that you are not making a project but you are making a film that stars will do justice to. The script needs to cast the actors. I work on the script first, then take it to the actors,” he said.

Zafar also gave an update about his action film “Super Soldier” with Katrina Kaif .

He said the movie is presently on hold and he has started production on another action film also starring Kaif, who has appeared in three of Zafar's films: “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan”, “Tiger Zinda Hai” and “Bharat”.

“There’s something for which I’m in talks with Katrina, it is not ‘Super Soldier’. It is a new film. ‘Super Soldier’ is not happening for a while. If I work with her (next), it will be an action film,” he added.

Also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Alaya F, Manushi Chillar, and Sonakshi Sinha, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” will be released on the occasion of Eid on April 10 in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.

The film is produced by Pooja Entertainment in association with Zafar’s banner AAZ films. 

(This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been modified or edited by ABP LIVE.)

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Review: ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ is monster math that becomes a headache

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Before the titan-sized title of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” even flashes across the screen, director Adam Wingard has already delivered two impressively goopy moments courtesy of our lead characters: Kong rips a hyena-thing in half, green entrails spilling everywhere, while Godzilla squashes a giant bug in Rome, releasing great vats of yellow goo over the ancient city. It’s an indication of the colorfully excessive ethos that Wingard brings to this loaded monster jam, overflowing with kaiju creatures. Considering that much of the action takes place in the underworld known as Hollow Earth, you might even call this picture stuffed crust.

Wingard, who directed the neon-synth fever dream that was 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” comes from the world of horror films ( “You’re Next” ) and he brings that same approach to his blockbusters, with a penchant for gleeful experimentation and over-the-top style. He drives this vehicle like he stole it, and with co-writers Simon Barrett and Terry Rossio, seems to throw every idea he’s ever had for a monster movie at the script. It’s a lot. It’s fun, but it’s a lot.

On the plus side, Wingard has arguably three of the best working actors in the game: Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry reprise their roles from “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and Wingard brings along the star of his 2014 thriller “The Guest,” Dan Stevens, who possesses a kind of glowing charisma that’s almost too much to take in. With these three, you truly can’t go wrong and Henry and Stevens, playing, respectively, a podcaster and a wacky wild-animal veterinarian, prove to be the most valuable players of the movie (after the title characters, of course).

To quickly get us up to speed since the events of the last film: Kong now lives in the verdant paradise of Hollow Earth, which is nice but lonely, while Godzilla remains on the surface, very cutely napping in the Colosseum in between bouts of titan fighting. These two need to be kept apart, lest they rip each other to shreds, reducing major cities to rubble in the process. However, when a distress signal emerges from Hollow Earth, Dr. Andrews (Hall), her adopted tribal Iwi daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), her on-call vet Trapper (Stevens) and the fanboy blogger Bernie (Henry), along with a stern Scottish pilot Mikael (Alex Ferns), set out to find the origin of the call, and realize that maybe Godzilla and Kong need to find a way to come together to fight off other nefarious creatures.

When you multiply Godzilla by Kong, what do you get? When Wingard’s doing the math, it’s an earnest, wacky, hectic ride that often feels like being thrashed about in an Imax seat. There’s a decidedly 1980s-inspired vibe to the tone and style, from the hot pinks and greens and synthy score by Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio, to the narrative that follows a journey into a fantastical underworld. There’s also a heavy emphasis on crystals as both plot device and aesthetic, offering this film a retro feel.

But about halfway through, one gets the nagging sensation that this entry has jumped the kaiju shark, as Wingard slams the gas and doesn’t let up. There are too many monsters and, as more and more are introduced, character falls away. It makes you long for the restrained elegance of Japan’s recent Oscar winner “Godzilla Minus One,” but this is a different beast entirely.

There’s a harried energy to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which is enjoyable until it becomes tiresome and deafening. Perhaps multiplication was too much — here’s hoping subtraction is next in the mathematical equation.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire'

Rating: PG-13, for creature violence and action Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes Playing: In wide release Friday, March 29

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Entertainment, entertainment | movie review: ‘godzilla x kong: the new empire’ an earnest, wacky, hectic ride.

Before the titan-sized title of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” even flashes across the screen, director Adam Wingard has already delivered two impressively goopy moments courtesy of our lead characters: Kong rips a hyena-thing in half, green entrails spilling everywhere, while Godzilla squishes a bug in Rome, releasing great vats of yellow goo over the ancient city. It’s an indication of the colorfully excessive ethos that Wingard brings to this loaded monster jam, which is overflowing with titans, creatures and kaiju. Considering that much of the action takes place in the underworld known as Hollow Earth, you might even call this picture “stuffed crust.”

Wingard, who directed the neon-synth fever dream that was “Godzilla vs. Kong” in 2021, comes from the world of horror films, and he brings that same approach to his blockbusters, with a penchant for gleeful experimentation and over-the-top style. He drives this vehicle like he stole it, and with co-writers Simon Barrett and Terry Rossio, seems to throw every idea he’s ever had for a monster movie at the script. It’s a lot. It’s fun, but it’s a lot.

On the plus side, Wingard has arguably three of the best working actors in the game in this picture. Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry reprise their roles from “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and Wingard brings along the star of his 2014 thriller “The Guest,” Dan Stevens, who possesses a kind of radioactive charisma that’s almost too much to take in. With these three, you truly cannot go wrong, and Henry and Stevens, playing a blogger/podcaster and a wacky wild animal veterinarian, respectively, prove to be the most valuable players of the movie, after the title characters, of course.

To quickly get us caught up to speed, after the events of the last film, Kong now lives in the verdant paradise of Hollow Earth, which is nice but lonely, while Godzilla remains on the surface, very cutely napping in the Colosseum in between bouts of titan fighting. These two need to be kept apart, lest they rip each other to shreds, reducing major cities to rubble. However, when a distress signal emerges from Hollow Earth, Dr. Andrews (Hall), her Iwi daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), her on-call vet Trapper (Stevens), and the fanboy blogger Bernie (Henry), along with a stern Scottish pilot Mikael (Alex Ferns), set out to find the origin of the call, and realize that maybe Godzilla and Kong need to find a way to come together to fight off other nefarious creatures.

When you multiply Godzilla by Kong, what do you get? When Wingard’s doing the math, it’s an earnest, wacky, hectic ride that often feels like being thrashed about in an IMAX seat. There’s a decidedly 1980s-inspired vibe to the tone and style, from the hot pinks and greens and synth-y score by Antonio Di Iorio and Tom Holkenborg, to the narrative that follows a journey into a fantastical underworld. There’s also a heavy emphasis on crystals as both plot device and aesthetic that offers this film a retro feel.

But about halfway through, one does get the nagging sensation that this has jumped the kaiju shark, as Wingard slams the gas and doesn’t let up. There are too many monsters, and as more and more are introduced, character falls away. It makes you long for the restrained elegance of “Godzilla Minus One,” but this is a different beast entirely.

There’s a bit of a harried energy to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which is fun until it becomes instantly tiresome and deafening. Perhaps multiplication was too much — here’s hoping subtraction is next in the kaiju mathematical equation.

‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for creature violence and action)

Running time: 1:55

How to watch: In theaters Friday

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About the Author

The TOI Entertainment Desk is a dynamic and dedicated team of journalists, working tirelessly to bring the pulse of the entertainment world straight to the readers of The Times of India. No red carpet goes unrolled, no stage goes dark - our team spans the globe, bringing you the latest scoops and insider insights from Bollywood to Hollywood, and every entertainment hotspot in between. We don't just report; we tell tales of stardom and stories untold. Whether it's the rise of a new sensation or the seasoned journey of an industry veteran, the TOI Entertainment Desk is your front-row seat to the fascinating narratives that shape the entertainment landscape. Beyond the breaking news, we present a celebration of culture. We explore the intersections of entertainment with society, politics, and everyday life. Read More

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‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review: A Godzilla Spectacle Minus One Thing: A Reason to Exist

The clash-of-the-titans climax lifts off into the awesome zone, but until then the fifth entry in the MonsterVerse is overly busy boilerplate.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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Watching “ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ,” I realized that the movie, a standard overly busy and mediocre blockbuster with a pretty awesome wow of a clash-of-the-titans climax, was demonstrating one of the essential principles of Hollywood movie culture today. Namely: All blockbuster movies are now connected!

In other words, Kong is facing a force who’s exactly like the villain in “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”!

Then there’s Godzilla. He spends the film preparing for an apocalyptic showdown by traveling from one place to the next and absorbing radiation, first from a nuclear facility, then from an undersea battle with a flower-headed monster so radioactive it’s iridescent. By the time Godzilla is done with all this, his very being has been suffused with radioactive power, to the point that he literally turns pink .

In other words, he looks like he’s having his “Barbie” moment.

The film’s central character, Dr. Ilene Andrews ( Rebecca Hall ), while she’s busy charting all this, is most invested in the fate of Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the adoptive daughter she rescued after the Iwi people of Skull Island were destroyed. As it happens, the Hollow Earth is home to another tribe of Iwi (there’s a lot going on in that basement), who Jia can communicate with telepathically. And she turns out to be a kind of chosen one, since Jia will prove the key figure in activating Mothra (now reimagined in shimmery designer gold), Godzilla’s old nemesis-turned-ally, who will be instrumental in the outcome of the final clash…

The thing that connects “Godzilla x Kong” to last year’s run of superhero films — the ones that everybody complained about — is that, just like them, the movie can make your head hurt. But not because it’s too convoluted to follow. It’s because the real convolution is: Why are we supposed to care? About any of this?

The fact that we might not makes “Godzilla x Kong” feel like one of those “Jurassic Park” sequels where everyone is huffing and puffing about the fate of the world and “relevant” issues of genetic engineering — but we’re just there for the ride, which now feels like it has a study sheet attached. I guess this is the part of the review where I’m supposed to say that Brian Tyree Henry , as the wide-eyed tech-whistleblower-turned-conspiracy-blogger Bernie Hayes, and Dan Stevens , as the snarky British veterinarian Trapper, are a riot, but it felt to me like the two actors were mostly filling space. Rebecca Hall, in a no-nonsense haircut, uses her avid severity well, and Kaylee Hottle, as Jia, has a luminous presence, but I’m sorry, every time the film summons a human dimension it feels like boilerplate.  

You could say that the qualifier, the one that’s always there in a Godzilla movie, is that in the kaiju films of Japan the stories don’t matter either; they are often nonsense. But not always. The original “Godzilla,” in 1954, was schlock with a fairy-tale sci-fi gravity; that was true, as well, of the other two standouts of the early kaiju films, “Mothra” (1961) and “Destroy All Monsters” (1968). And it may turn out to be a stroke of karmic bad luck that “Godzilla x Kong” is coming out right on the heels of “Godzilla Minus One,” the movie that rocked the world of monster cinema. It had the lyrical majesty of those earlier films, as well as a story, rooted in Japan’s World War II trauma, that was actually linear and moving. It reminded you that these creatures could carry an emotional grandeur.

Kong unfreezes himself, and proves once again to be the fiercest primate around. And Godzilla outradiates his foes, even as he’s now so defined by that pink glow that it’s almost as if he’s being set up as a new kind of allegorical monster: not a metaphor for the bomb, but a metaphor for…the return of responsible nuclear energy? Stay tuned for the next eye-popping and meaningless sequel.                

Reviewed at Warner Bros. Screening Room, March 27, 2024. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 115 MIN.

• Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release of a Legendary Pictures production. Producers: Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, Thomas Tull, Brian Rogers. Executive producers: Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Adam Wingard, Jen Conroy, Jay Ashenfelter.
• Crew: Director: Adam Wingard. Screenplay: Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater. Camera: Ben Seresin. Editor: Josh Schaeffer. Music: Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio.
• With: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen, Rachel House, Ron Smyck, Chantelle Jamieson, Greg Hatton.

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