Bollywood Remake Of ‘Forrest Gump’ Is Filming

The Oscar-winning film “Forrest Gump” is getting a Bollywood remake thanks to the people behind Viacom18 Studios. The new iteration will have Bollywood star Aamir Khan playing Tom Hanks’ role in the film being titled “Laal Singh Chaddha.”

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Hindi-language remake of “Forrest Gump” is currently in production for a Christmas 2020 release. Khan will be playing a simple Sikh man in a life-changing journey taking place across several historical events and his unsuspected influences on them. The actor will star alongside actress Kareena Kapoor Khan in the film being directed by Advait Chandan.

The film’s first look was unveiled this past weekend showing Aamir Khan in character for the upcoming remake. The actor posted a picture of his character on his social media.

After the announcement of the remake this year, Paramount COO Andrew Gumpert stated, "We’re thrilled to be in business with Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios, and to see them bringing this timeless story to a whole new generation of audiences."

"Knowing Aamir’s burning passion for this subject for many years, he is the perfect partner to bring to life this dream," Viacom18 Studios COO Ajit Andhare added.

Robert Zemeckis directed the original film in 1994. “Forrest Gump” was a big success critically and commercially, winning six Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Hanks and earning $678 million at the box office worldwide.

The movie was adapted from Winston Groom’s 1986 novel with the same name. “Forrest Gump” was adapted from the novel by screenwriter Eric Roth, now also known for his works like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Good Shepherd,” and “Munich.” Actor Atul Kulkarni is penning the Hindi remake, which started production in October.

In a career spanning over 30 years, Khan has starred in some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, including the comedy-drama “3 Idiots” and the sports film “Dangal,” which opened big internationally in China. The actor's rise to stardom began in the early 1970s as a child actor for one of his uncle’s films “Yaadon Ki Baaraat.” His career took off as an adult in the lead role in the 1988 coming-of-age film “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.” Khan gained success and acclaim in the '90s with movies like “Dil,” “Raja Hindustani,” “Sarfarosh,” and “1947: Earth.” He then started his own company Aamir Khan Productions where his film “Lagaan” earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film.

India is currently working on other remakes of Hollywood films. One of these remakes includes “Dil Bechara,” a Hindi version of “The Fault in Our Stars” that has already finished production and a developing film based on the 2014 musical drama “Begin Again.” The industry has tackled other films from Hollywood, including a remake of “Knight and Day” for their 2014 action-comedy “Bang Bang!”