From 1984 Sikh riots to Babri Masjid demolition: A look at Laal Singh Chaddha's reverent portrayal of Indian history

‘PM da ghar aa ye. Indira Gandhi rehti hai itthe’ (This is the PM’s house. Indira Gandhi lives here), says Laal Singh Chaddha’s mother as his family poses in front of Indira Gandhi’s house for a picture, moments before she was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards. Laal’s mother tries to get him to safety - that is when their autorickshaw is attacked by rioters. Scared for his life, Laal’s mother shaves his head with a piece of broken glass as she apologizes profusely to
Waheguru. A couple of hours later towards the climax, a grown-up Laal reclaims his religious identity when he ties a turban as ‘Ik Onkar Satnam’ plays in the background.

Operation Bluestar And 1984 Sikh Massacre

In barely a couple of scenes each of which last only a few minutes, Laal Singh Chaddha portrayed the assassination of India’s PM, the plight of 1984 Sikh genocide victims and the communal disharmony that followed. The depiction of what can be called one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Modern India, is nuanced and treated with utmost seriousness (which it rightfully deserves). A young Laal while running away from the rioters sees an autorickshaw driver, a Sikh man, being attacked by the mob and is (presumably) burnt alive. What follows next is a scene in which Laal’s mother combs his short hair - which symbolizes a loss of one’s religious identity. With such scenes, it seems that the film is holding up a mirror to humanity to show them how bigotry and religious hatred can weigh heavy on the souls of generations that follow,

One must applaud Aamir Khan, who despite the massive backlash and boycott trends, went ahead and accurately portrayed historical events (for the most part), complete with details and little dilution and fluff - which is bound to displease many, especially those in power. Not many films in Indian cinema, let alone a mainstream commercial film like Laal SIngh Chaddha, have managed to make Operation Bluestar a dinner table discussion and that alone, is the film’s biggest win.

Prior to the scenes leading up to Gandhi’s assassination, the original footage of blasts at Harimandir Sahib depicting Operation Bluestar is played. Laal’s mother cries inconsolably and asks him not to leave the house. When Laal asks her the reason, she says ‘Bahar Malaria phalia hua hai’ (there’s a Malaria outbreak, stay indoors). The usage of the word ‘malaria’ as a placeholder for communal hatred shows just how damaging and downright insidious religious
conflicts can get.

1999 Kargil War And 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks

In addition to acknowledging the Sikh massacre, the film also portrays the 1999 Kargil War. Laal, along with his friend Balaraju, is posted in Ladakh where they are tasked with neutralizing a section of the Pakistani army. When things go South, Laal uses his running abilities to rescue multiple injured Indian soldiers but inadvertently ends up rescuing a member of the Pakistani army, Mohammad. In Laal’s simplicity and borderline naivety, we see that the opposite Army camp of Pakistanis are humans too and deserve compassion - which is probably why Laal unknowingly rescues Mohammad. The film obviously wished to comment on the futility of wars and just how damaging they can be - much like the communal hatred.

What is particularly disturbing though, is that Mohammad, after being rescued and brought to the Indian side, lives a normal life. Given how Indo-Pak tensions are high following the Pulwama aftermath, a member of the Pakistani army, presumably a terrorist and a radical Islamist, leading a normal life in India is bound to irk many. He is later ‘reformed’ after he sees an image of Ajmal Kasab on television during the 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks.

The portrayal of Mumbai terror attacks isn’t as nuanced as it could have been. It seems that the attacks were merely referenced to show how Mohammad is now ‘reformed’ and wishes to undo the damage caused by him. If only the filmmakers acknowledged that the reformation of terrorists is as simple as it showed. As an Indian, one might want to know more about the victims of Terror attacks and how it impacted Laal’s journey but instead they are used as a mere plot point to humanize Mohammad, who eventually goes back to Pakistan after starting a multi- million dollar undergarment business in India.

The Mohammad storyline which begins in Kargil and ends with Mumbai Terror attacks will make many, especially those in the right wing very, very uncomfortable as it apparently has. Needless to say, the film should have handled this aspect with more care.

Bollywood-Underworld Nexus And Babri Masjid Demolition

‘Unko dekh rahe ho? Unka naam bhi Laal hai’, says Rupa to Laal Singh Chaddha as they watch the 1990 Ayodhya Rath Yatra led by BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. In another scene, we see ‘Mandal is Bundal’ written on the vandalized walls of Delhi’s Hindu college hinting at the Mandal commission protests. A few months later, Ayodhya is rocked by blasts as the Babri Masjid is brought down. Laal’s mother, as usual, instructs him to be wary of ‘Malaria’ - as the euphemism is repeated. Babri Masjid Demolition is also addressed and much like the 1984 Sikh riots, painted as an event which was a result of intense communal disharmony. The film's messaging and its purpose of condemning religious hatred is apparent at this point.

Meanwhile, in Rupa (played by Kareena Kapoor Khan), we see a young girl who wishes to make it big in Bollywood but is eventually forced to suck up to the Underworld dons which can be seen as a reference to the Bollywood Underworld nexus which grabbed headlines in the ‘90s. In one scene, Rupa is seen serving a glass of champagne to a man who looks like Dawood Ibrahim. Many on the Internet found similarities between Rupa’s arc and the infamous
Monica Bedi-Abu Salem alliance. For a Bollywood film to acknowledge the Underworld influence on the film industry is a first and shows that Bollywood films, too, can be highly self-aware and critical of themselves when need be.

Besides this, there are many pop-culture references in the film too. India’s 1983 World Cup victory, the 1994 Miss Universe pageant, Shah Rukh Khan learning his signature pose from a young Laal and Milind Soman-Madhu Sapre’s controversial photoshoot - to name a few. Unlike Forrest Gump, we don’t see Laal Singh Chaddha (the character) change the course of Indian history. Laal is a mere spectator to the events happening around him, most of which stem out of ‘Malaria’. While the film does falter at few places to get the details of various historical events right it does acknowledge their mere existence which going by the Hindi film’s rather diplomatic approach is a welcome move. The job of the makers, of course, was to adapt the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal in the US to an Indian context and needless to say, the film has done that beautifully and deserves praise for the same.

Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75. 

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.