What did Tom Hanks think of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha?’

Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood’s most influential and talented actors.

His impressive filmography includes the 1994 blockbuster Forrest Gump.

In the film, Tom played the titular character, who is a simple man from Alabama, USA. 

Forrest embarks on a life-changing journey as he witnesses America’s history unfold.

For the film, Tom Hanks won an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ in 1995.

In 2010, Aamir Khan agreed to star in the Bollywood adaptation of the film. The remake was titled Laal Singh Chaddha.

After a long journey of obtaining the rights to remake Forrest Gump and producing the film during the Covid-19 pandemic, Laal Singh Chaddha was released in 2022.

Tom Hanks divulged his reaction to Bollywood’s take on his beloved classic.

Calling the film “extraordinary”, Tom said: “I think it’s a testament to how film grows on film.

“I think all of us have seen movies that have been incorporated into the rest of our creative process, sometimes bleakly, but sometimes very specifically.

“Every now and again, there is a film that enters the worldwide consciousness that you cannot forget, that you cannot escape.

“Look at the difference and yet look at the similarities despite the filmmakers and the cultures that they were in.

“In many ways, those films were saying the same thing but with the added prospect of the new perspective that came along with it.

“I just think it’s to be celebrated. It was a glorious thing to behold.” 

Prior to the release of Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir had revealed that he had invited Tom to attend a special screening.

Aamir stated: “Forrest Gump is an iconic film. I am very curious to see how Tom Hanks reacts after watching [Laal Singh Chaddha].

“He is a wonderful actor.”

Tom Hanks and Aamir Khan had previously met when Steven Spielberg introduced Aamir as “the James Cameron of India”.

While Tom may have liked Laal Singh Chaddha, the film bombed at the box office after it was released.

In 2024, Aamir appeared on The Great Indian Kapil Show. During the interview, he delved into what he felt went wrong in the film.

He said: “I think the pitch of my performance was a little too high.

“So it didn’t hold and because of that, the whole film was spoilt. The entire onus was on me.”

On the work front, Aamir Khan will next be seen in Sitaare Zameen Par. 

Meanwhile, Tom Hanks was last seen in Here (2024).

It reunited with him with his Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright and was helmed by the classic’s director, Robert Zemeckis.