Earlier this year, filmmaker Kiran Rao had spoken out about Aamir Khan’s disappointment over the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha. The 2022 film, directed by Advait Chandan, also stars Kareena Kapoor. In an interview to actress Rhea Chakraborty’s podcast Chapter 2, Aamir admitted that his “acting was bad” in the film. Many on X (formerly Twitter) have reacted to Aamir’s new statement. Also Read | Kangana Ranaut says Aamir Khan was the ‘mastermind’ behind Laal Singh Chaddha boycott trend: ‘He himself curated it skillfully’
Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor in a still from Laal Singh Chaddha (2022).
What did Aamir Khan say?
The actor said, “The original Lekin (Forrest Gump) was not for mainstream as the script structure was not for mainstream but Lekin Kamyaab hai aur uski waja yeh hai ki, Lekin Tom Hanks’ performance is Kamal ka tha that he has pulled you through. Meri performance let the film (Laal Singh Chaddha) down. Mera performance tekh nahita, yeh meri leading hai. Unlike the original where Tom Hanks’ brilliant acting had mesmerised everyone, I felt my acting in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ was too over the top. My acting, as per my interpretation, has let director Laal Singh Chaddha down. I think I can do better in my next film.”
When Rhea said that there was no room for improvement in her acting in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Aamir said in Hindi, “As creative people, I feel that what we were trying to create came very close to that (in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’). So, it is one of those films that some people really loved and it was their favourite film but most people could not relate to. The reason they could not relate to it was because my acting was weak… When you make a mistake, fail or feel weak, it can also be an opportunity. You have to be honest and admit the reasons why a film did not work. Even though I had said I would not do films, after ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ I loved working in ‘Sitare Zameen Par’. That (‘Sitare Zameen Par’) is a great film.”
Twitter praises the actor
Sharing the video of Aamir giving his honest opinion, user X wrote, “My acting in Laal Singh Chaddha was bad but I learned from it and had a lot of fun working on Sitaare Zameen Par.” Show me an actor who openly criticises his own acting. Megastar Aamir Khan (salute emoji).
In response, user X tweeted, “Some actors were upset by the ‘Joker’ comment, which was made with good intentions. Only a great actor with a progressive mindset can accept and reflect on criticism of his acting.”
“It always takes courage to accept the truth. Kudos to Aamir Khan,” one tweeted. Another wrote, “Hats off to Aamir Khan for accepting it so openly.” Another tweeted, “He’s humble. His performance was amazing.”
About Laal Singh Chaddha
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) is a comedy-drama directed by Advait Chandan. It is a Hindi remake of the 1994 Hollywood film Forrest Gump. Besides Aamir and Kareena, it also stars Naga Chaitanya and Mona Singh. In 2022, Laal Singh Chaddha was released on Netflix without much hype, just a few weeks after its theatrical release in August.
Lal Singh Chaddha’s backlash
“Laal Singh Chaddha” faced widespread calls for a boycott and underperformed at the box office. The boycott movement against “Laal Singh Chaddha” began after a 2015 interview in which Aamir Khan said his then-wife Kiran Rao had suggested he leave India due to “growing intolerance” resurfaced and gained attention on social media.