Laal Singh Chaddha - A Simple Story about Loving and Accepting

"Kya pata hum mein hai kahani ya, hai kahani mein hum?"

This line just about sums up what Laal Singh Chaddha wants to convey. We are all a part of the grand design of the universe, of life, and life itself is made from our stories.

Aamir Khan  has delivered a gem of a film as usual. Atul  Kulkarni's strong screenplay and Advait Chandan's able direction helps this film become an all time classic, just like its predecessor, Forrest Gump. All the actors have delivered winning performances. And the cinematography that spans our beautiful country's landscape is simply superlative. The music and lyrics speak to the heart.

Image Source : Wikipedia

And what can be said about the story?

Your eyes well up several times in the film, as you navigate your way through the simpleton Laal's life. A slow witted person, who lives by his mother's teachings of humanity and pure love, he stumbles through life. But finally achieves much more than all us brainy individuals can hope to achieve. 

When you remove the shackles of hatred, lust, envy, bitterness, what are you left with? Humanity. 

This is what Laal has in plenty. When he saves his compatriot's lives in the battlefield, and unknowingly also an enemy side's soldier's (who later turns out to be a mercenary), he acts simply from his heart.

Image Source : Wion Entertainment News

When he pines for the love of his life, or when he manifests the entrepreneurial dream of his friend, or when he openly shares his story with unknown co-passengers, he simply connects as a human. No more, no less. That is why overt religiousness is "malaria" to him. 

Weren't we all like him in our childhood? Before the venom of divisiveness, the concepts of "us and them", good and bad, evil and noble, were injected into our minds. And then we became those people who are calling for the boycott of this simple, innocent film. We became tools in the hands of our masters who still use divide and rule policy to maintain their seats. We became "clever" people who can find fault in everything, including works of art.

Let just leave aside our prejudice, our superciliousness and our smugness for a while. Let us simply flow with Laal's story, smile in his innocence, weep for his loss, take heart in his policy of everything working out well.

A little innocence and hope in humanity never hurt anyone, did they? Baaki sab beh jaane de, jaane de....

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