Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha moves off to April 2021?

The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the worldwide entertainment industry and Bollywood is no exception. Amid rising cases of COVID-19 in India, many high-profile releases have been pushed back.

From what we hear, Aamir Khan’s much-awaited outing Laal Singh Chaddha has become the latest Bollywood movie to defer its theatrical release due to the Coronavirus crisis. Earlier scheduled to enter cinemas on Christmas 2020, Laal Singh Chaddha is now eyeing an April 2021 release.

Khan is known for releasing his ambitious projects on Christmas. Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014) and Dangal (2016) are some of his blockbusters which hit the marquee on Christmas and turned out to be huge money-spinners at the box-office. However, with only 60 per cent of the movie shot before the lockdown came into force, sources in the industry reveal that Laal Singh Chaddha may miss its date with theatres on Christmas 2020.

The fourth schedule of the film finished in Amritsar on March 17. The team was set to begin the next schedule in Chandigarh. However, Aamir Khan called off the shoot, keeping in mind the guidelines issued by various cine-bodies.

"The unit was to head to Chandigarh for another round of filming. The shoot was moving like clockwork, and Aamir was hoping to release the first teaser around Diwali. However, the lockdown has put the brakes on his plans. Even if the shoots resume by August or September, it is unlikely that the movie will hit screens by December. It may target April 2021 for release,” a trade source reveals.

Laal Singh Chaddha is an official remake of cult Hollywood film Forrest Gump (1994), starring Tom Hanks. The film shows a 30-year-long journey of its protagonist. "Besides presenting Aamir as a 20-something who grows older as the narrative progresses, the film will also depict events like the Babri Masjid demolition and the Kargil war. It won't be easy to complete such intricate VFX work in a short time," the source adds.

Helmed by Advait Chandan, Laal Singh Chaddha also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role. The film is jointly being produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Aamir Khan Productions.