his movie was in the making for three years and garnered immense publicity before its release. Being an Aamir Khan production, the expectations were humongous and it was being eagerly awaited by audiences. Khan is known for being a perfectionist. His movie stars the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya (in his Hindi movie debut) and Mona Singh (as Aamir Khan’s mother). Laal Singh Chaddha is a simple, heartwarming tale of the protagonist as he goes through life with its ups and downs; and twists and turns.

One always expects a little extra from Aamir Khan’s movies. One has to admit one was not disappointed. The younger characters also tug at your heart and you enjoy the rapport between Rupa and Laal as the two form a very strong friendship on Laal’s first day at school. Although they drift apart later in life, he always remembers her as his first love. He feels his life is incomplete without her. She, meanwhile, nurtures aspirations of becoming an actress and making it big in Mumbai.

The story begins in a train when Laal is on his way to Chandigarh and starts narrating his life story to his fellow passengers. The movie grows on you slowly. One has to hand it to the junior Rupa and Laal Singh Chaddha for essaying their roles so effortlessly. Their acting is superb. This is a movie that makes one feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You cry and laugh with the characters. Rupa has a Christian father, who murders her mother in a fit of rage and she moves to her maternal grandmother’s house, who happens to work in Laal’s house. She starts living with Laal. The movie effectively captures their pure and unadulterated love.

They attend the same college and Laal protects Rupa at every juncture of her life. They go their separate ways in life but keep running into each other unexpectedly. With each encounter, Laal’s feelings grow stronger. He keeps popping the question but Rupa continues to evade it. They go their separate ways but their destinies are intertwined; eventually, the two end up together.

Along the way, Laal loses many loved ones in his life. Rupa goes through her own share of challenges. However, although she initially rejects his proposal, citing her high aspirations and dreams in life, when events do not transpire as she had expected, she realises that Laal is her soul mate. Eventually, she returns.

The music, direction and screenplay are simply beautiful and the characters have been developed thoughtfully. Aamir Khan takes on a very challenging role and like always manages to raise the bar a notch higher. The movie tells the tale of a man with a heart of gold, making it evident that it has been made straight from the heart. Kudos to the director for making it so beautifully.

Although Aamir Khan’s character has shades of PK, he meets and exceeds all expectations. You can see the sheer hard work that he invests in every performance. It’s amazing that at the same time he makes it look so effortless. Also, watch out for the performance by Mona Singh, who plays Aamir’s screen mother. Other characters, especially the younger ones, too, have a tremendous screen presence.

Kareena as Rupa does full justice to her role. The chemistry and camaraderie between the two have been captured beautifully. Both have an enviable on-screen equation. It is quite unfortunate that the movie bombed in India, considering the amount of time, money, effort and energy invested in making this a true masterpiece. Given that it was adapted from the 1994 Hollywood movie, Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks as the protagonist, Aamir Khan does full justice to his character in this Bollywood adaptation.

All in all, it’s a simple movie with a beautiful soul that leaves you teary-eyed with a smile on your face.

The writer is an educationist and can be reached at gaiteeara@hotmail.com