Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha finally made it to the theatres on August 11. The movie is a remake of 1994’s Forrest Gump, based on a novel by Winston Groom that goes by the same name. While everyone is currently talking about Laal Singh Chaddha, the original was loved by movie enthusiasts when it was released about 28 years ago. In 1994, Forrest Gump earned $677 million and was felicitated with six Academy Awards!

That said, here are some interesting facts about the cult classic you should definitely know about: 

1. Tom Hanks rose in popularity with this role, but it was accidental. Initially, John Travolta was approached for the same role but he declined it due to various reasons. It’s a decision that he regrets to date. Apart from Travolta, other actors like Sean Penn, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray, were also approached to do the role.

2. The iconic running scene in the movie might not have been there, if not for Hanks. The production house had initially stated that the scene is too expensive to shoot and they wouldn’t be able to fund it. That’s when Hanks stepped up and funded the scene himself. He struck deal with the team, and it was decided that the actor would get a part of the profits. Lucky for him, since the movie did so well, he reportedly earned 65 million dollars!

3. Another role for which the makers had to spend time convincing actors to sign up was that of Jenny Curran. While Robin Wright did the role, before her, actors like Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, and Demi Moore declined the offer.

4. While filming, a lot of fictional characters and establishments were created. One of them was The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. In the film, the character Bubba dreams of opening a shrimp business, but later dies in the war. Gump then takes up the business by the names of both of them. Inspired by this, in 1996, a restaurant opened by the same name in Monterey, California. In today’s time, there are almost 40 restaurants in the chain.

5. Gary Sinise played the role of lieutenant Dan Band in the movie and it was appreciated by fans and critics alike. Later in 2004, he founded a band by the same name. The band plays at shows to raise money for injured war veterans. According to reports, they raise $30 million annually.

6. This movie was felicitated for 6 Academy Awards. These were for the best picture, best film editing, best screenplay, best visual effects, best actor, and best director.  

Lead Image: Paramount Pictures