The desi Forrest Gump promises to be a beast quite separate and different from the original. While the Tom Hanks classic looked at American history through the eyes of the timid but honest protagonist, Aamir Khan’s Sardarji character in the remake titled Lal Singh Chaddha will view Indian history from the time of the Partition. Sources in the know which do not want to be quoted say the film will travel into the sensitive areas of Indian history including Operation Bluestar and the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
A source very close to the project informs this writer, “The whole point of doing Forrest Gump in Hindi is to transpose the original into Indian soil. Brutal aspects of Indian history cannot be swept under the carpet. They would have to be carefully probed.”
Keenly particular about getting the facts right, Aamir and the film’s producers Viacom 18 will invite eminent historians as consultants on the screenplay. “We want to get this completely right,” says a source in the know.
