Aamir Khan tears up over 'traumatic' Laal Singh Chaddha failure: 'I thought it would easily make Rs 3 billion'

Aamir Khan is still struggling with the failure of his 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha, which was a remake of the Hollywood classic, Forrest Gump. The film that released just after COVID, received tepid reviews and couldn't make much of an impact on the audience. The film concluded its global theatrical run with a total gross of approximately Rs 130 crore ($15.6 million).

He compared the film to his 2018 flop, Thugs of Hindostan, which had also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif. He said that he wasn't surprised by the failure at the time, because he didn't like it. "So, the audience and I were on the same side. Though I was sad because so much effort was put into it. Adi (Aditya Chopra) had put in so much money. He’s a great producer. He’d done so much for the film. And of course, we were all disappointed. But it was like an accident I could see happening in slow motion. But with Laal Singh Chaddha, I thought it’s a very nice film. It’s still a very good film,” Aamir confessed.

When members of the live audience said they had embraced the film, Aamir Khan responded that many of them hadn’t actually turned up in cinemas during its initial release. “While a number of people have liked Laal Singh Chaddha, I’m also aware that a number of people really didn’t get it. It’d be childish of me to try and believe otherwise because there’s absolutely no way you can kill a film that the audience is loving. So, if it’s not worked, then the audience hasn’t connected with it,” he said.

Speaking about the film’s scale, Aamir acknowledged that he may have overreached with its reported Rs 200 crore budget. He confessed that he became 'overconfident', and that his film would do easily Rs 3 billion. "Ideally, I’d have sat with my production team and told them it’s not a mainstream film. Then we’d have figured out what its scope is. We should’ve taken the lower limit, and not be hopeful,” he explained.

Reflecting on the film’s performance, the actor became emotional, comparing the experience to a deep personal loss. He said that he was rather shattered, and was in mourning for a while. "It was initially traumatic for me for a few months, but then I pulled myself out of it. I think that’s how I am. I don’t try and curb my emotions. It’s very important for me to feel. Whatever I’m feeling, I allow myself to feel that,” he added.

Amid the disappointment, Aamir said the presence of his family became a source of comfort. “Before that because of Covid, I’d tried to reconnect with my family. So when Laal Singh didn’t work, my sisters (Nikhat and Farhat Khan) were visiting me. My mom (Zeenat Hussain) was around. My kids (Junaid, Ira, and Azad Khan) were visiting. Kiran (Rao, ex-wife) was dropping by. Reena (Dutta, ex-wife) was asking, 'What's up? Are you okay? If I would’ve gotten so much attention from my family after a flop, I’d have given two or three more yaar,” Aamir said.