KARACHI: It is always exciting when Aamir Khan releases a film. From touching upon taboo topics to creating pieces that are a social commentary, the filmmaker is known for being brave and utterly talented. Consequently, many were looking forward to his latest film Laal Singh Chaddha which is an Indian adaptation of the 1994 classic Forrest Gump. In his appearance on Koffee with Karan, Khan revealed that it took them close to eight years just to get the copyrights of the film followed by the delays caused by the pandemic. With the film set to release on August 11, few would have expected Laal Singh Chaddha to face one controversy after another.
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Hours after its release last week, a complaint was filed against Laal Singh Chaddha for ‘disrespecting the Indian Army and hurting Hindu sentiments’. According to Hindustan Times, a Delhi-based lawyer submitted a complaint to Delhi Police commissioner Sanjay Arora on Friday, alleging that the portrayal of the Indian Army in Laal Singh Chaddha has disrespected the armed forces. The complaint was filed against Aamir Khan, who is one of the producers of the film, along with Paramount Pictures, and director Advait Chandan.
The complaint read, “In the movie, the makers have depicted that a mentally challenged person was allowed to join Army to fight in the Kargil War. It is a well-known fact that the best army personnel were sent to fight the Kargil war and rigorously trained army personnel fought the war but the movie makers intentionally depicted the said situation to demoralize and defame the Indian army.”
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The advocate also alleged that the film hurt religious sentiments with a scene where a Pakistani personnel asked Laal, “I offer Namaz and pray, Laal, why don’t you do the same?” and the latter replied, “my mother said all this puja paath is malaria. It causes riots.” The advocate said the comment is quite aggravating and a defamatory statement aimed at the whole Hindu community. The complaint also said the statement is not only instigating and provokes sentiments but also causes ‘enraged emotions among the Hindu religion followers.’
Following the legal trouble, the film lost nearly 86% of its business on ticket counters in Indian cinemas. The film that was made with a budget of INR 180 crore had faired a mere INR 48 crore in five days, with most shows being cancelled. It has only been six days to the release of the film yet the chances of Laal Singh Chaddha failing miserably at the box office are high.
