Why did Laal Singh Chaddha flop? Aamir Khan's eyes will tell you

From slapstick comedies like Andaaz Apna Apna to satires like PK to even emotional dramas like the recent Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir Khan doesn’t seem to let go of his ‘googly eyes, raised eyebrows’ expression. While the cartoonish facial spasms are a trademark of his acting, the expression might have been overdone especially if he plays a man with a cognitive disability like ‘Indian Forrest Gump’.

It’s Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron who once said, “It’s in the eyes, mostly…That’s where the emotions come through.” Aamir Khan probably took that advice to an extreme level as is evident from his recent roles. Even though Bollywood’s Mr Perfectionist is a chameleon who changes his looks and body for several roles, he seems to be relying on the whole ‘googly eyes’ routine as his favourite party trick. 

A man of many expressions: If we look back at Aamir’s filmography, he mostly used to squint his eyes in most of his dramatic moments. Even in comedies and romances like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Rangeela, his eyes were mostly controlled even in scenes that required melodrama. 

In the ‘serious cop routine’ in Sarfarosh and later Talaash, the actor’s eyes were perpetually locked in a frown that seemed to suit his troubled characters. If he has probably overdone his frowns in recent times, it might be his portrayal of the ‘bald version’ of his character in Ghajini. But as compared to other contemporaries from the Holy Trinity of Khans, Aamir’s overall performances have yet not pandered to overacting as much as Shah Rukh or Salman. 

Aamir’s slapstick origins: Despite his revered status in the industry, Aamir too has had his fair share of overacting performances such as his descent into alcoholism in Raja Hindustani or the very entirety of Mela. While the romantic comedy genre had been constant in his early catalogue of films, it is the cult classic Andaz Apna Apna that truly allowed him (and his co-star Salman Khan) to unleash his potential for slapstick comedy. 

Deliberately nonsensical with iconic characters such as Crime Master Gogo and Teja, both the Khans overact to their finest. While Salman mostly bears an expressionless, naive face with occasional yells of “Ooi Maa!”, Aamir gets to make his eyes wide whenever he unleashes his sarcasm on the other character. Diehard fans of the actor might even agree that Andaaz Apna Apna was the best film for Aamir to widen his eyes and brows. 

Resurgence in 3 Idiots and a character trait in PK: Aamir’s first collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani came with 3 Idiots. His ever-optimistic and energetic character Rancho obviously needs no introduction but a more careful viewing of the film would show that this is probably where Aamir started bringing back his Andaaz Apna Apna gaze. The facial expression suited his character, given his youth and general curiosity.  

And then to portray an alien in his next collaboration with Hirani, Aamir amped up that gaze to another level. All through the satirical comedy, the actor perks his eyebrows and freezes his unblinking eyes to stare directly into the viewer’s soul. It is a fun trick that suits his eccentric otherworldly character. 

Playing a man with an intellectual disability in Dhoom 3: The earliest signs of Aamir Khan overdoing his eye tricks might have also been noticed first in Dhoom 3, the desi take on The Prestige that released in 2013, just a year before PK’s release. 

Aamir’s is a dual role includes playing Samar, an intellectually disabled man who looks at the world with a naive outlook. As Bollywood gets no brownie points for well-researched representation of people with disabilities on screen, Aamir plays a bumbling man who bears raised eyebrows and a rather creepy grin all the time. And then, of course, there is a stutter too in his speech. 

And right when audiences thought Aamir probably can’t overact any more to portray a man with cognitive/intellectual disabilities, then came this year’s Laal Singh Chaddha!

The excessive overacting in Laal Singh Chaddha: The controversies and calls for boycotts aside, Laal Singh Chaddha was supposed to be a heartwarming drama much like its original Forrest Gump (which has had its own fair share of criticism for representation of disabilities and dated tropes). And to an extent, a few sections of the audience did seem to resonate with the film’s overall message of love and harmony, there is also a huge consensus on how Aamir’s own acting proved to be the film’s downfall. 

In fact, the Indian Twitterati went on to compare his performance as an amalgamation of his roles in 3 Idiots, PK, and Dhoom 3! For anyone who has watched the film, they would know why. 

For an ambitious actor like Aamir taking on an ambitious Hollywood production like Forrest Gump, there is also some unexpected consistency in the characterisation. Young Laal (played by Ahmed Ibn Umar) is a curious chap who despite being subjected to labels such as ‘buddhu’ and ‘bhondu’ seeks to know more about the world and spend time with his best friend Rupa. But as Laal grows into a de-aged Aamir who is romantically obsessed with Rupa, Aamir resorts to some rather uncomfortable facial spasms that would pop his eyes out like he’s a Looney Tunes character. 

And then suddenly, towards the final half hour, Laal grows into a self-sufficient man who doesn’t need the audience’s sympathy. The transition from a sympathetic performance to an empathetic one might seem to be quite abrupt for some. Some might argue that it is a matter of his character’s eventual ageing but after hours of watching Aamir overact, suddenly seeing a more balanced Aamir sans googly eyes is difficult to digest. 

Laal Singh Chadha’s box office numbers in the first week have ensured that it is a commercial flop. While the audience numbers might have been affected by the Boycott trends on Twitter, it is worth discussing whether Aamir’s own reliance on overacting elements led to its failure for those who actually watched it in theatres. 

How would Aamir’s acting be in his future projects? That only time (and more specifically his eyes) will tell.