Kareena Kapoor calls Forrest Gump ‘an elitist kind of classist film’, internet shocked: ‘Is she even hearing herself?’

Actor Kareena Kapoor has responded to a question on if she had any apprehensions while signing Laal Singh Chaddha, the remake of Forrest Gump, and if she thought people must have watched the original film. In a recent interview, Kareena said that she didn’t have any qualms as Laal Singh Chaddha is ‘an original adaptation in a different language’. She also added that many people haven’t watched Forrest Gump as it’s ‘an elitist kind of classist film’. (Also Read | Aamir Khan says he did not retain ‘adult scenes from Forrest Gump’ for Laal Singh Chaddha)

Forrest Gump (1994) is a comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film features Tom Hanks as a simple man who navigates through his life and major events in US history. It also starred Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and Sally Field. It was a success at the box office and became the top-grossing film in the US that year. Forrest Gump earned over $678.2 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

In an interview with News18, Kareena said, “No, because it’s an original adaptation in a different language. Our language and our sentiments and emotions are very different from theirs also. So, we’ve adapted it for our Indian screens, and I’m sure people would enjoy it. But there are still a lot of people who still haven’t seen Forrest Gump.”

She continued, “Because the masses would not have seen Forrest Gump. It is an elitist kind of classist film. It’s a film that the mass people they haven’t seen, so they will see it for a story. They aren’t gonna see it because it’s a remake of Forrest Gump. Of course, Aamir (Khan) has made it for that but it’s also a story that people would like to see.”

Kareena’s comment on Forrest Gump didn’t go well with the people as they took to social media platforms and expressed shock. Sharing a clip from the interview, a person tweeted, “The reason I believe education is important.” Another Twitter user said, “I mean she says this for a mainstream movie.” “These people undermine the masses. OTT has brought ‘elitist’ movies to our homes. Time and curiosity is a combination any trash cannot beat,” read another tweet.

On Reddit, a user commented on a post about Kareena’s remark. The person wrote, “It’s hard to defend a person like her, but I’ll try. She is not the brightest one around. She was probably trying to say that most Indians would not have seen Forrest Gump and LSC would make that story accessible to wider Indian audience.” Another person wrote, “Is she even hearing herself? The tiny pause after saying it! She herself realized that it has come out so straight.” A comment read, “I’d love to see her define what elitist and classist mean.”

Laal Singh Chaddha is all set to hit the theatres on August 11. The film has been produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kiran Rao, and Viacom18 Studios. It features Kareena, Aamir Khan, Mona Singh, and Naga Chaitanya. The Laal Singh Chaddha team recently announced that the film will be available on OTT six months after its release.