A Bollywood remake ofForrest Gumpis on the way. The remake is titledLal Singh Chadhaand it features Indian superstar Aamir Khan in the main role that Tom Hanks made famous in the Robert Zemeckis-directed original. The original movie was released in 1994 and is based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name.Forrest Gumpwas made on a $55 million budget and went on to earn over $700 million globally, which made it a huge success at the box office. Additionally, the movie took in six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a Best Actor win for Hanks.
The Bollywood remake ofForrest Gumpshouldn’t really come as a surprise. India puts out more movies than any other market and is a dominant force in the world of entertainment. Plus, they have been putting out adaptations of North American movies for decades now. Advait Chandan is directingLal Singh Chadha, who also helmed Aamir Khan’s 2017 musical drama Secret Superstar. The remake will be produced by the actor’s production company Aamir Khan Films along with Viacom18 Motion Pictures. The remake was announced at Khan’s 54th birthday celebration in Mumbai.
During his birthday celebration, Aamir Khan revealed why he decided to take on theForrest Gumpremake. The actor also stated that they begin production in October of this year, which means that a fall 2020 release date is probable. The remake should be able to top thebox officeupon its release. Khan had this to say.
“We have bought the rights from Paramount. I have always lovedForrest Gumpas a script. It is a wonderful story about this character.It is a feel-good film. It is a film for the whole family.”
Throughout his 30-year career, Aamir Khan has broken box office records and continues to do so. Some of his projects have gone on to become huge hits in China, like the wrestling dramaDangal. As far asBollywood remakesof North American movies,Forrest Gumpis just the latest in a recent string of projects beings made in India. Jon Favreau’s 2014 movieChefrecently received the Bollywood treatment as didKnight and Day, which originally starred Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. However,Forrest Gumpstands to get a lot more attention than most of the recent remakes for obvious reasons.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Bollywood interpretsForrest Gumpand how well it does at the box office. The movie is beloved in North America and other parts of the world, though some would argue thatPulp FictionorShawshank Redemptionshould have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Regardless, the movie was a part of pop culture instantly and still is to this day, thanks to the direction of Robert Zemeckis and the performance by Tom Hanks.The Hollywood Reporterwas the first to announce the Bollywood remake ofForrest Gump.
