Turkish Ambassador watched Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' four times!
Firat Sunel, the Turkish Ambassador to India, recently expressed his admiration for Bollywood and specifically highlighted Aamir Khan's 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha. In a conversation with PTI, Sunel revealed that he has watched the film, co-starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, not once but four times! He also stated his belief that the Bollywood adaptation surpassed its Hollywood original—the 1994 Forrest Gump, headlined by Tom Hanks.
Sunel highlighted cultural insights of Bollywood films
"For me, this [Laal Singh Chaddha] is more successful than the original one," Sunel said. He also emphasized the cultural insights offered by Bollywood films, stating, "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. He also declared Khan his favorite actor.
Sunel underscored similarities between Indian and Turkish cultures
The Turkish diplomat also pointed out that Laal Singh Chaddha, which was partially filmed in Turkey, helped him recognize similarities between Indian and Turkish cultures. Sunel referenced the opening scene in which Khan is depicted sharing golgappas with fellow train passengers. "In [Turkey], 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."
Meanwhile, he discussed the complexities of novel-to-film adaptations
Meanwhile, Sunel, who is also a bestselling author, discussed the complexities of adapting novels cinematically. He explained that while adaptations can reach millions compared to thousands for a novel, there can be changes or losses in translation. Despite these concerns, he expressed interest in seeing his novel Sarpincik Feneri, recently translated into English as The Lighthouse Family, turn into a film. Notably, FG drew its story from Winston Groom's namesake novel.
Sunel's novel could resonate with Indian families
Sunel suggested that his novel could resonate with Indian families and make for a touching movie. He believes the book's themes could be adapted into an emotional film in India. The Turkish diplomat stated, "Indian audiences, like Turkish audiences, like books or movies when they make them cry and this is one such book. It can be adapted in any country, in India or Western countries. So, if somebody is interested, why not?" he added.
'Laal Singh Chaddha' faced mixed reviews
Laal Singh Chaddha faced mixed to negative reviews amid calls for a boycott on social media, which seemed to affect its box office performance. It was directed by Advait Chandan and written by Atul Kulkarni, with music by Pritam. Read our LSC review here.
