Turkish envoy Firat Sunel: ‘Watched Laal Singh Chaddha four times,’ Aamir Khan favorite

Firat Sunel, Turkey’s Ambassador to India, enjoys Bollywood films, particularly Aamir Khan’s “Laal Singh Chaddha,” which he claims to have seen at least four times. He believes the film, a remake of the Hollywood classic “Forrest Gump,” was even more successful than the original 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks. 

Despite mixed to negative reviews and social media calls for boycott, the 2022 film seemed to have been affected at the box office.. “I am a fan of Bollywood movies and my favourite actor is Aamir Khan. Laal Singh Chaddha, I have watched this movie at least four times. It is an adaptation of Forrest Gump. But this movie, for me, is more successful than the original one,” Sunel told PTI in an interview here.

“When you watch Bollywood movies, you also see the Indian lifestyle and background. You learn so much about India and Indian people, so that’s why Bollywood is getting more and more successful,” he added.

The diplomat mentioned that “Laal Singh Chaddha,” filmed in Turkey, highlighted the shared cultural aspects between India and Turkey. Sunel cited a scene where the main character, portrayed by Khan, shares golgappas with train passengers, reflecting cultural similarities. This made him realize the connection between Indian and Turkish cultures.

“This is normal for you and me, because it is a tradition. In Turkiye, we also offer food to people who are in proximity before we eat. But when somebody in America watches this movie, they wouldn’t understand it.

“They would think because ‘He is not a smart boy, that’s why he offered the food to other people’. Maybe because I catch so many similarities between our societies is that I feel so interested about the movies here,” he added.