Atul Kulkarni calls Aamir Khan‘s Laal Singh Chaddha a desi film, says ‘Forrest Gump cannot be remade’ | Exclusive

Atul Kulkarni speaks about Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chaddha. In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, he said that Forrest Gump is not a film that can be remade.

Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chaddha is releasing in theatres today (August 11, 2022). The film is an official Indian adaptation of Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump features Tom Hanks in the lead role and is considered one of the most iconic films of all times. Writer Atul Kulkarni, in an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, said that Laal Singh Chaddha is a complete ‘desi’ film and hence, comparisons between the two films are unlikely.

When asked if he is prepared for the comparisons to follow after the release of Laal Singh Chaddha, Atul Kulkarni told IndiaToday.in, “I don't think there will be comparisons, because right now, people have not seen the film, but the moment people start watching here, they will realise that this is a completely independent film. It is, of course, adapted, which means the screenplay is similar, but it is a completely freshly written film.”

He added, “Forrest Gump is a film which cannot be remade, because it is very specific to the cultural milieu of a particular nation. So, if we are making an Indian film, it must be a completely desi film. It is a film that an entire family can sit together and watch. Once people see it, I'm sure people will know what I'm saying.”

The film was delayed over the years. It took nearly 10-12 years for Aamir to bring Laal Singh Chaddha to the theatres. Atul explained, “The delay was because we did not get the rights to make the film from Paramount. So, that was the whole delay. As far as the draft and the script is concerned, it is pretty much the same as what I had written. Of course, we changed and added a few nuances but, whatever was written in the script has been translated into films.“

He lauded Aamir for pulling off all the body transformations in the film seamlessly. Atul shared, “It is challenging as an actor to pull off a role which demands such body transformations. All the things that an actor needs to go through to play this character are unimaginable. And that is why I think Aamir is the person who could do it, who could pull it off and only Aamir should have done this film and he has done this.”