Firat Sunel, the Turkish Ambassador to India, is known for his deep appreciation of Bollywood films. He particularly admires the Aamir Khan-led 'Laal Singh Chaddha' and has watched it more than four times. Sunel believes that this film, an authorized adaptation of the Hollywood hit ‘Forrest Gump,’ surpasses the original 1994 film featuring Tom Hanks in terms of success.
Despite facing mixed to negative reviews and boycott campaigns on social media platforms, which may have impacted its box office performance, Ambassador Sunel continues to be a staunch supporter of 'Laal Singh Chaddha.'
In an interview with PTI, he expressed his admiration for Bollywood and Aamir Khan, noting that 'Laal Singh Chaddha' resonates with him more deeply than its American counterpart.
He shared, ‘I am a fan of Bollywood movies and my favourite actor is Aamir Khan. Laal Singh Chaddha, I have watched this movie at least four times. It is an adaptation of Forrest Gump. But this movie, for me, is more successful than the original one.’
Ambassador Sunel appreciates Bollywood for its ability to depict the Indian way of life and its cultural backdrop, which enriches viewers' understanding of India and its people. He believes that this aspect contributes significantly to the growing global success of Bollywood. According to Sunel, ‘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.’
Furthermore, Ambassador Sunel pointed out that parts of 'Laal Singh Chaddha' were filmed in Turkiye, which, in his view, highlighted the cultural parallels between India and Turkiye. He illustrated this with a scene early in the movie where Aamir Khan's character, while on a train, shares golgappas with nearby passengers before eating some himself. Sunel explained, ‘This (the scene) is normal for you and me because it is a tradition. In Turkiye, 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. They would think, ‘He is not a smart boy, that’s why he offered the food to other people.’ Maybe because I catch so many similarities between our societies, that's why I feel so interested in the movies here.’
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