Readers Write In #639: Discovering Miracles in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’

By Jithendar Anandan

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest accomplishment.”

This was one quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that kept popping up in my head throughout the film. Laal is such an envious character who isn’t influenced by any external forces around him and continues to grow with the same innocence and empathy for everyone. This empathy of Laal is a beacon of light that extends even to his enemies that’s seen during the war times.

The craftsmanship and meticulous pre-production efforts that have gone into the creation of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ are truly awe-inspiring. It’s a brilliant adaptation of ‘Forrest Gump’ for the Indian audience, skillfully weaving in numerous historical events, from the Kargil war to Anna Hazare’s hunger strike.

The movie encompasses so many unspoken subtexts including friendship, motherhood, Rupa’s greed for materialistic desires, destiny and so many other subtle elements. Chaitanya as he says in the movie is an unborn brother from a different mother to Laal and has given another fabulous performance!

People like Amir Khan and Kamal Hassan are highly successful not because of their illustrious career but for their unrelenting passion for art that doesn’t die out despite failures. Like in the movie, life is full of miracles. And sometimes miracles are just people with the kindest hearts that God has sent to this world to spread love and empathy. And Aamir Khan is definitely one of them and despite what box office says ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ unquestionably stands as the pinnacle of his career and my absolute favorite of his.