Atul Kulkarni Reacts 1st Time to Laal Singh Chaddha Failure, Says 'A Star Like Aamir Khan Gave...' | Exclusive

Having carved a niche for himself as a notable and versatile actor, Atul Kulkarni marked his debut as a writer with Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), the official remake of Tom Hanks’ iconic film, Forrest Gump (1994). Made over a span of more than a decade, the Aamir Khan starrer was one of the most highly anticipated films of last year. However, it opened to mixed reviews and had an underwhelming performance at the box office. As Kulkarni gears up for the release of Disney+ Hotstar’s City Of Dreams 3, News18 exclusively catches up with him as he looks back at Laal Singh Chaddha and how it failed to meet expectations.

Reacting to it for the first time, he tells us, “We were making Laal Singh Chaddha for almost 12 years. Getting the permissions took some time. We shot the film for a few years and then the pandemic happened. A star like Aamir Khan gave four years of his life to shoot this film! We were trying to make a film that we thought would be appreciated, widely.”

And he reveals that they were ‘disappointed’ with the fate of the film. Talking about it, Kulkarni remarks, “We try to make people happy and entertain them with our work, whether it’s a small film or a big film. When that doesn’t happen, we get disappointed and bad about it. There are no two ways to it.”

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However, he quickly adds that despite its box office performance, the 57-year-old will always hold Laal Singh Chaddha very close to him. “We worked really hard on Laal Singh Chaddha. It’s a very special and beautiful film. It will always stay very close to my heart. But this business teaches you to be detached from failure as well as success,” says Kulkarni, rather emotionally.

Upon its digital release on Netflix, however, the film resonated with a lot more audience. So, what importance do reviews hold for him? “Earlier, that was perhaps the only platform from where actors got to know about the response to their works. That was the only connection actors had with the viewers. A lot has changed today. You start getting opinions on your work on social media right after people watch the very first scene of your latest release. But if they like it, you might get to read their reactions after they have finished watching the entire film or show,” he elaborates.

But this new mode of communication which not only throws instant gratification but also quick judgment doesn’t deter Kulkarni and instead makes him happy. Prod him further and he states, “This makes me happy because I feel all these opinions are their genuine reactions. Professional reviewers react to films in a compulsive manner because it’s their job. But on social media, people react because they want to. They react if they love something or if something makes them angry. But if the reviews are in sync with the collections at the box office, it’s the best place to be in.”

The Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi (2019) and Happy Family: Conditions Apply (2023) actor would rather accept these responses with a pinch of salt and with an open mind. “It’s their right to judge and that’s how it should be. I’m very happy that technology has democratised these things. Earlier, the audience didn’t have a voice but now they do, and we’ve to accept it. People will evolve. Right now, social media is like a toy and over the years, they will get used to this freedom. We’ll have to be patient and wait for that time to arrive,” Kulkarni points. ​