Actor Naga Chaitanya is quite upbeat about his role in Laal Singh Chaddha suggesting that it was the perfect launch pad that he had been waiting to make his foray into the Hindi film industry.
“I was always looking out for something to do in Hindi. I was waiting for the right opportunity for the transition. I wasn’t too sure who would have been accepted if I made my debut as a lead actor. Instead, I wanted to be hand-held and brought into the industry and presented in the right way. There is already so much talent there and the audience there have already accepted those talents. And to penetrate, the Hindi market is not easy. The way the actor is presented the first time is very crucial as it forms an impression,” Chaitanya told indianexpress.com.
Laal Singh Chaddha is one of the most-awaited movies by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. The film is the Hindi adaptation of the Hollywood film Forrest Gump.
“I was always insecure about my grip over the Hindi language. I grew up in Chennai and mostly spoke Telugu and Tamil. I was worried about how my language would come across. It will have a South Indian flavour to it. When Advait (Chandan) narrated the script, I realised that they were looking for a south Indian boy to act in the Hindi film. He wanted me to speak in my natural way. Even if my Telugu accent showed up here and there, they were okay with it. I felt this was a perfect hybrid kind of model for me to test the water and present myself there. Acceptance is the most important thing for me. With a film like this and the support like this, it makes it a little easier to get acceptance,” he added.
Also, the film allowed Chaitanya an opportunity to closely observe how Aamir Khan puts together a project. “Aamir Khan is a perfectionist. Not just him, he makes sure that every actor and every technique shines in the movie. That was something which gave me a lot of confidence,” he said.
Working in Laal Singh Chaddha, also provided Chaitanya with a significant learning curve. “I was surprised to find out how Aamir Khan was keyed into all the departments during filmmaking. He knows what everyone is doing. He’s shadowing what everyone’s doing. For an actor, filmmaking is not just about how his character is shaping or performing, it’s about how the whole synergy is coming together. That’s what makes the product so much beautiful,” he said.
Alongside Naga Chaitanya and Aamir Khan, Laal Singh Chaddha also stars Mona Singh. The film releases in theatres on August 11.