NEW DELHI: As the countdown begins for the release of her upcoming film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ in March 2024, filmmaker Kiran Rao has been actively engaged in promotional activities. However, in a recent interview, Rao shed light on why her ex-husband, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, isn’t part of the cast of ‘Laapataa Ladies’. She also delved into the aftermath of Khan’s last film, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, which faced a tepid response at the box office.
Reflecting on the disappointment surrounding ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’s’ reception, Rao expressed, “It’s really disheartening when you put in all the effort, and it doesn’t work, which is what happened with Laal Singh Chaddha. And it definitely affected Aamir quite deeply.”
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She elaborated on the emotional investment both of them had in the project, revealing that it had been a long-standing ambition for Khan, who had been working on acquiring the script rights for a decade before its realisation.
Acknowledging the mixed response to “Laal Singh Chaddha,” especially after its OTT release, Rao expressed gratitude for the positive feedback on social media. Despite this, she acknowledged the need to accept the audience’s verdict, stating, “I do feel the film did not get as much of a chance. But it did not work, and we do have to accept the fact that the audiences did not like it or did not want to see it.”
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‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, released in 2022, directed by Advait Chandan, is a Hindi adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood classic “Forrest Gump.” Apart from Aamir Khan, the film features Kareena Kapoor, Naga Chaitanya, and Mona Singh. Its arrival on Netflix without much fanfare shortly after its theatrical release in August 2022 raised eyebrows, especially as neither Khan nor Kapoor engaged in promotional activities typically associated with an OTT release.
The film faced a barrage of criticism and calls for boycott, primarily triggered by a resurfaced 2015 interview in which Khan mentioned his then-wife Kiran Rao’s suggestion to leave India due to ‘growing intolerance.’ This backlash likely contributed to the muted reception of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ both critically and commercially.
