Laal Singh Chaddha fights #BoycottBollywood at box office! Will he win?

Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha has released in theatres today. The film has released across 3,500 screens in India, which includes Tamil and Telugu markets. Going by advance bookings, the film's opening day collection is likely to be anywhere between Rs 10-15 crore.

The film has way too much riding on its shoulders -- hopes of reviving Bollywood coupled with Aamir Khan's superstardom.  Besides this, the big question is whether the Aamir Khan film will be able to weather the #BoycottBollywood storm at the box office?

Will Laal Singh Chaddha be able to fight #BoycottBollywood?

Film trade expert Akshaye Rathi told India Today that exhibitors are worried about boycott calls around the movie. He added viewers have become very selective about what they want to watch given the OTT boom during COVID-19 pandemic.

Rathi said, "Yes, obviouosly they are. Even if a small section of the potential audience who get affected by the trends don't show up it is a loss for the makers. Firstly, post pandemic, people have become choosy about what they want to watch and when an Aamir Khan film comes, you expect things to get better. However, looking at this, it is only worrying. Also, the screen count has been reduced for the film, which further impacts the overall business."

Trade expert Ramesh Bala said the film does not have the originality factor going for it since it is a remake of the 1994 classic Tom Hanks. He said, "Firstly, it is a remake of a Hollywood movie, Forrest Gump, which most people have seen. It is not an original film like PK which people will rush to watch Aamir Khan in. So, the novelty factor is not 100 per cent. Secondly, the market in the South for Hindi films is usually soft, even for an Aamir Khan movie."

Harry Parmar, Aamir Khan's co-actor in Laal Singh Chaddha, has a slightly different take. Parmar believes if the film's content is good enough, then all these controversies will die down eventually.

Laal Singh Chaddha reviews

Talking of the first day first show, the film opened to mixed reviews at the box office. Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh gave the Aamir Khan film a two-star rating and said that the film disappoints on several fronts. Adarsh wrote, "Aamir Khan's comeback vehicle LSC runs out of fuel midway... Lacks a captivating screenplay to enthrall you [second half goes downhill]... Has some terrific moments but lacks fire in totality."

Film trade analyst Sumit Kadel also weighed in and gave the film a two-star rating, calling it "a poor adaptation of Forrest Gump." Kadel wrote, "LSC is a poor adaptation of Forrest Gump, it lacks soul and emotions of the original classic... There are few feel good moments but the overall impact is unsatisfactory.. Aamir Khan repeats his character Samar from Dhoom 3, he overacted throughout. EPIC LET DOWN."

Users, however, had a mixed take on the film. While some users mocked Aamir Khan for bringing out a remake after so much effort, others backed the team of Laal Singh Chaddha for making a heartwarming film.

Also read: Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ releases in theatres today; here’s what to expect  

Also read: Netizens trend #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha on Twitter; check out reactions here