LAAL SINGH CHADDHA MOVIE REVIEW

Our homegrown Gump knocked on the doors of the cinemas last week in India but released in theatres in the Netherlands only the day before yesterday. After listening to incessant backlash from critics and audience alike for a week, my hopes on the film should ideally have slumped. However, given Aamir Khan's previous track record as a Producer, I remained sanguine. After all, Aamir the Actor may have made some questionable decisions in the past, but Aamir the Producer has never faulted (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na may have been the worst of the lot, but as a standalone film that was not too bad either). Thankfully, this hypothesis was further strengthened after watching Laal Singh Chaddha; a lovingly crafted film that takes quite some getting used to its tone and atmospherics, but halfway into the film I was consumed entirely by it, struggling to hold back tears on many occassions. It's not a perfect film, but it's so extemely likeable that you are willing to forgive its shortcomings in return for giving you a good time.

Forrest Gump was a classic....at least that's what they say...I, particularly, was not very impressed by that movie for the prime reason that I could not connect with the characters and the story. That is where Laal Singh Chaddha emerges real strong: it establishes a genuine affection for the tiny little world it creates around itself. Still, it takes quite some guts and belief to recreate a movie which has been seen and talked about so many times in the past. Returning as a director after his very endearing debut Secret Superstar, Advait Chandan handsomely rises to the occasion and sticks faithfully to the original (original screenplay by Eric Roth and adapted screenplay by the talented Atul Kulkarni) by keeping things simple and light hearted. Despite having the groundwork being laid by Eric Roth, the makers of Laal Singh have done a commendable job at translating that vision to suit Indian cinema without ever diluting it. The script had an inherent sincerity which has been retained in essence, which I consider a big win for the film. 

Having said that, Laal Singh also retains the flaws (or at least what I consider flaws) of the original. My patience was seriously tested in the first one hour of the film where the direction in which the film was moving appeared hazy. I agree that it is not a plot based film, but without a convincing enough story, my attention began to wear thin. Aamir Khan, too, is not instantly likeable at first. There's always that thought constantly running in your head if a younger actor should have been playing his part. But, all these concerns were put to rest in the second half where his mettle as an actor overshadowed everything else. Coupled with the soft directorial touches by Advait Chandan, Aamir outdoes himself in some crucial scenes, especially towards the end, portraying the gradual growth and maturity of his character with unmatched ease. The film may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I would recommend watching it just for him. In fact, almost every actor has been perfectly cast in their roles, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, Manav Vij among others. A loud shout out also to Pritam's terrific score and Amitabh Bhattacharya's profound yet entertaining lyrics. They play a big role in sustaining the mood of the film throughout. 

I am going with 3.5/5 for Laal Singh Chaddha. The extra half star is for Aamir. Although the film is long and does not have a dense plot to boast of, I was so settled in eventually that I did not want the film to end. Your mind knows that the movie should end given that all loose ends have been tied, but your heart doesn't want it to end. This exact thought is echoed in the theme of the film "zindagi golgappe ki tarah hoti hain, pet bhale hi bhar jaave hain par mann nahi bharta". 

GEHRAIYAAN MOVIE REVIEW

Soaked in themes of infidelity, morality and the harsh realities of modern urbanism, Gehraiyaan, directed by Shakun Batra, is a wildly engrossing and occasionally disturbing (okay, maybe more than occasional) film that is as much a victory of the writing as it is of the internalized lived-in performances. 

Shakun Batra's directorial curve has grown more exponentially than the surge in COVID cases in Europe in the last few months. Debuting with Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, which frankly was a passable romantic comedy, he upgraded to the terrific Kapoor & Sons, a film which dented the image of the typical cutesy Indian middle class family which Hindi films have portrayed for years before. The characters were flawed, they made seriously questionable decisions and they all kept secrets of their own, all of which were strategically and elegantly let out in an extremely engaging fashion. Despite all its merits, I still felt the film could have been crisper and more focused, especially in the first half. At a running time of two and a half hours, however, Gehraiyaan rarely feels long because Batra and his co-writers painstakingly build up the plot and imbue each frame with moody atmospherics, throwing in twist after twist to sustain the tension. The film is darker and more unsettling, even by Batra's own standards.

While his direction certainly cannot be faulted, the real hero of the film remains the script. Just when we begin to think that the film is essentially one character's story, the writers turn the spotlight onto another character, making this person now the "interim protagonist". Bolstered by a radiant ensemble, each and every actor gets a chance to shine. Rajat Kapoor is suitably sly; Ananya Pandey, although still raw, is nicely cast in a role which seems like her natural self for the most part. Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi do most of the emotional heavy lifting and they come off as utterly convincing. They bring the required depth to every scene, something which the film aimed to explore even through its title. 

My only complaint with the film is a revelation about one of the 'interim protagonist's" relation with the parents in the last bits of the film. It felt force-fed into the story for the supposed purpose of tying up loose threads but it comes off as a tad tacky. This, however, is offset by the makers' decision to keep an open ending and let us mull over the consequences of that final encounter. It's probably a manifestation of Batra's inherent cynicism where he cannot let his characters and their lives stay happy for too long.    

I am going with 4/5 stars for Gehraiyaan. While this may not be everyone's cup of tea, I highly recommend you to give it a shot, especially because films of this supreme quality and texture rarely knock on the doors of Hindi cinema.