Aamir Khan recently reflected on the underwhelming performance of his 2022 film, Laal Singh Chaddha. Speaking at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), he did not shy away from discussing the financial and emotional toll the film’s failure took on him, admitting that his own overconfidence played a major role in the outcome. Comparing the disappointment of Laal Singh Chaddha to his 2018 film Thugs of Hindostan, Aamir noted a difference in his reaction. He explained, “When Thugs didn’t do well, I wasn’t surprised because I didn’t like it. So, the audience and I were on the same side.” While he felt for producer Aditya Chopra, who had invested heavily in the project, Aamir described the failure of Thugs as an “accident I could see happening in slow motion.”
However, Laal Singh Chaddha was different. Aamir confessed, “I thought it’s a very nice film. It’s still a very good film.” He acknowledged that while some viewers appreciated the remake of Forrest Gump, many others simply did not connect with it. He added, “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.” The film was made on a massive budget of approximately Rs 200 crore, but its box office earnings fell drastically short, grossing around Rs 130 crore worldwide. Aamir admitted that his streak of past successes blinded him to the risks involved with such an unconventional project.
The failure left Aamir visibly emotional during the session. He described himself as being shattered and in mourning, even comparing the loss of the film’s potential to losing a child. He shared, “I was very sad, depressed, and in mourning.
Despite the initial trauma that lasted for several months, Aamir credited his family, specifically his mother Zeenat Hussain and sisters Nikhat and Farhat Khan for helping him through the difficult period. He explained the importance of allowing himself to feel those emotions fully rather than curbing them, eventually finding the strength to move forward. Written by Atul Kulkarni and directed by Advait Chandan, Laal Singh Chaddha also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh, and Naga Chaitanya.
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