LOS ANGELES: Bollywood star and producer Aamir Khan spoke about India’s connection with the Middle East while promoting his latest film, “Laal Singh Chaddha,” which was released on Thursday in the region.
The movie, which is an adaption of the Hollywood classic “Forrest Gump,” tells the story of Laal, a purehearted and intellectually disabled man who lives through pivotal moments in India’s history.
Despite making the film for Indian audiences, Aamir told Arab News that he is glad to see viewers from far and wide gravitating toward it, including those in the Arab world.
“I think Indians have a closer emotional key to the Arab world and to the Middle East,” he said. “I would like to tell all my fans across the Middle East that I want to thank them for all the love they’ve always given me and my work.”
The actor said: “If someone had asked me: ‘would you like to do “Forrest Gump?”‘ I would have thought he was joking.”
The film reinterprets “Forrest Gump’s” iconic moments to reflect Indian culture, including exchanging the box of chocolates on the bus stop for gol gappe during a train ride.
“It kind of spans 50 years,” Khan told Arab News. “So you have the characters in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and then in 2000. And so every department, whether it’s the production design, whether it’s the look of the film, the costumes, everything has to change according to that time.”
“So it’s a very preparation-heavy film and really a challenging film, but great fun to do as well,” he added.
The film stars Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, who plays the role of Chaddha’s childhood love.
The film also sees superstar Shah Rukh Khan in a cameo appearance.