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Laal Singh Chaddha

Laal Singh Chaddha

Who knows, are we part of a story, or does a story lie within each of us?

2022159 minPG-13Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Director
Advait Chandan
Starring
Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Mona Singh

Events in India's history — from the Emergency and the famous Cricket World Cup win to the Punjab riots , unfold from the perspective of an innocent Sikh man Laal Singh Chaddha, a person with a low IQ but high optimism. Laal is able to achieve everything under the sun but his childhood love continues to elude him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Laal Singh Chaddha?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Laal Singh Chaddha streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Laal Singh Chaddha?

Laal Singh Chaddha earns 5 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Divisive.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Laal Singh Chaddha worth watching?

Laal Singh Chaddha's Midcredits score is the 44th percentile of all films, from 203K ratings across 6 sources. 40% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

44th percentile

Better received than 44% of films

50th percentile among Comedy45th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)50th
Approval (how many liked it)38th

62 /100

50th percentile of all films

57th percentile among Comedy52nd percentile among 2020s

Critics 46 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

40% liked it

38th percentile of all films

41st percentile among Comedy40th percentile among 2020s
40% rated it 7–1060% rated it 1–6

Critics 69% · Audience 90%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 30 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

95th percentile

203K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget₹1.8B

In Indian rupee, not converted to dollars.

Opening weekend$1.5M
Domestic gross$3.4M
Worldwide gross$12M

75th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge Laal Singh Chaddha as a faithful remake of Forrest Gump, with the Indian historical context making it more relatable to local audiences.

Fans praised

  • relatable Indian historical backdrop
  • heartwarming emotional family film
  • strong production quality and direction

Detractors panned

  • boring and unengaging plot
  • poor acting, especially Aamir Khan
  • unoriginal copy of Forrest Gump

What stands out

Cinematography75

Excellent cinematography and set pieces

Emotional impactDivisive70

Heartwarming and touching for fans, but fails to connect with detractors

CharactersDivisive65

Character journey relatable and heartfelt to fans, but detractors find it derivative and lacking depth

AtmosphereDivisive60

Rooted in Indian events, connecting with fans but not detractors

ActingDivisive55

Aamir Khan's performance praised by fans as intense but criticized by detractors as disappointing and over-the-top

Plot and storyDivisive50

Faithful to original but perceived as boring and unengaging by detractors

PacingDivisive40

Second half dragged and poorly edited, even some fans admit

OriginalityDivisive30

Remake of Forrest Gump, seen as copycat and unoriginal by detractors

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Laal Singh Chaddha like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
BittersweetHopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
WarmSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film plays its emotional beats and historical context straight, without irony or self-mockery.
The rideThe film moves through warm and comedic early moments toward a more melancholic and bittersweet final act as loss accumulates.
StructureLaal recounts his life story to a fellow train passenger, unfolding in episodic flashbacks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a hopeful sense that simplicity and love endure, tempered by loss and the struggles of a turbulent life.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a simple man through decades whose personal milestones are interwoven with Indian history, featuring a healing arc from loss to fatherhood.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsFamily bondsPurpose · 9% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on Laal's unwavering loyalty to his friends and family, and his search for meaning through connection.
StanceThe film celebrates the enduring value of friendship and loyalty, framing Laal's simple goodness as a triumph.

The world

Late 20th centuryRuralUrbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernFolkPopSupportive music · original score · Pritam Chakraborty
SettingIndia from the 1970s to 2000s, spanning a Punjabi village, Delhi, Army service, and Mumbai
MusicThe score incorporates Indian folk and pop elements to underscore the emotional and historical sweep.

Content guide

Is Laal Singh Chaddha okay for kids?

PG-13

Laal Singh Chaddha is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some violent content, thematic elements and suggestive material” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (38/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at minimal (13/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (29/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Overall it is heavier than 9% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 7 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • Ireland12
  • IndiaUA
  • MYP13
  • Spain7
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 11% of all filmsHeavier than 9% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 36%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 5%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 37%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 31%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 36% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Laal Singh Chaddha have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Laal Singh Chaddha?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Aamir Khan
as Laal Singh Chaddha
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kareena Kapoor
as Rupa D'souza
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Naga Chaitanya Akkineni
as Balaraju 'Bala' Bodi
Mona Singh
as Gurpreet Kaur Chaddha
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Manav Vij
as Mohammed Paaji
Kamini Kaushal
as Old Lady in Train
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Shah Rukh Khan
as Shah Rukh Khan
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Arun Bali
as Old Sikh Man in train
Shrikant Verma
as College Coach
Shiv Panditt
as Captain Sandeep

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Laal Singh Chaddha?

Movies like Laal Singh Chaddha include Forrest Gump (1994), Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017) and Thiruchitrambalam (2022). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Eric Roth, and most are films set in South Asia.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its character type: friends-to-lovers. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Laal Singh Chaddha?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: friends to lovers. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.