Hindu nationalists push boycott of Bollywood ‘Forrest Gump’ remake

NEW DELHI: According to Forrest Gump, life is like a box of chocolates because "you never know what you’re going to get". Now, an Indian remake of the movie has been hit by boycott calls over years-old comments by its Muslim star Aamir Khan.

It is the latest example of how Bollywood actors, particularly minority Muslims like Khan, are feeling increased pressure under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Modi. "Laal Singh Chaddha", an Indian spin on the 1994 Hollywood hit with Tom Hanks, is expected to be one of India’s biggest films of 2022.

This is due in large part to its main star, 57-year-old Khan, one of the Indian industry’s most bankable actors with past blockbusters like "3 Idiots" (2009) and "Dangal" (2016). But ahead of the August 11 release, the internet is awash with clips from a 2015 interview when Khan expressed a growing "sense of fear" and that he and his then-wife discussed leaving India. "She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day," he said.

More than 200,000 tweets, many from supporters of Modi’s BJP party, have been shared since last month calling for people to spurn the movie with the hashtag #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha. "Aamir Khan married two Hindu Women, yet named his kids Junaid, Azad & Ira. (Hindu co-star) Kareena (Kapoor) married a Muslim & promptly named her kids Taimur & Jehangir," said one tweet, referring to the children’s typical Muslim names.