Telugu superstar Naga Chaitanya is currently gearing for the release of his Bollywood debut film Laal Singh Chaddha with Aamir Khan. Until about two years ago, Naga Chaitanya had no intention of pursuing a career beyond the Telugu film industry. However, Laal Singh Chaddha changed his plans.
The Hindi adaptation of Tom Hanks’ Hollywood classic Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha is directed by Advait Chandan. Chaitanya recently opened up about the project and said that he grew up watching Forrest Gump. He added that starring in the official Hindi adaptation feels surreal.
In a recent conversation with the Hyderabad Times, Chaitanya says, “Since I began my career, my effort has always been to entertain the audience down South. It remains my first love. But growing up, I remember watching Forrest Gump and loving the film. Never would that little kid have imagined being a part of the adaptation one day.”
In the film, Chaitanya brings to life the character of Benjamin Buford Blue aka Bubba, that was originally played by Mykelti Williamson. When asked about his time working with Mr. Perfectionist, the actor said, “It’s a challenging character, and I had a great time playing it. There have been minor tweaks done to the character to make it suitable for the Hindi audience, but the essence remains the same. We shot in extreme weather conditions at Kargil for 45 days. It was a truly memorable experience.”
Chaitanya also revealed that Aamir Khan was a major reason he agreed to take on the project, “One of the reasons I said yes to this project is for the opportunity to share the screen with Aamir and learn from him. He’s very meticulous on sets, and it was great fun to work with him. We also had to work in the tough conditions that men in the uniform face. The production team had to create a path for us as there was no road near where we were shooting. It was a magical experience,” Naga Chaitanya revealed.
Laal Singh Chaddha starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor will be released in theatres worldwide on April 14, 2022, on the occasion of Baisakhi, and is one of the most anticipated films.
