Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao at his birthday press meet
Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao at his birthday press meet.Shweta Parande for IBTIMES

We were one of the first ones to tell you that Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's next film will be the remake of Hollywood's multiple Academy Award-winning movie Forrest Gump (1994). On his birthday on March 14, Aamir Khan confirmed to the media that he will be starring in the Forrest Gump remake, to be called Lal Singh Chaddha. Here are exclusive details about the film from International Business Times, India. 

Aamir Khan will not only reprise the titular role of Tom Hanks in the Forrest Gump adaptation but also produce the film. Aamir Khan Productions will co-produce Lal Singh Chaddha along with film studio Viacom18 Motion Pictures. The film will be directed by Advait Chandan, the director of Secret Superstar and a former manager of Aamir Khan. 

In an exclusive chat with the media after the cake-cutting and announcement, Aamir Khan revealed Lal Singh Chaddha has been written and adapted by none other than actor Atul Kulkarni. In fact, it was Atul who first approached Aamir Khan with a script after their chat on Forrest Gump on the sets of their 2006 cult film Rang De Basanti. Aamir Khan went on to reveal that he had been trying to buy the rights of the film from Paramount Pictures for eight years, ever since he was bowled over by Atul Kulkarni's script. Incidentally, Viacom18 Motion Pictures co-owns Paramount.

"I have always loved Forrest Gump, having seen it in the nineties. I had been trying to buy the rights of the film for eight years," said Aamir Khan. When International Business Times, India asked Aamir Khan how he has always been compared to Tom Hanks in terms of looks and his choice of roles, Aamir agreed, saying that probably the Hollywood actor's eyes do look like his.

Aamir Khan will start shooting Lal Singh Chaddha in October 2019. "We have started the prep on the film. The shoot will start from October. I will be prepping for six months. I have to lose weight. I will be losing 20 kg. I have to be lean and slim for the characer," said Aamir Khan. The actor revealed that the movie will be based in Punjab.

For his 2016 film Dangal, Aamir Khan had put on oodles of weight to reach 90 kg in order to play the ageing wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat. He then lost all the weight and remodelled his body to play the younger version of the wrestler.

Forrest Gump was directed by Robert Zemeckis and was based on a book of the same name by Winston Groom. The film won six Academy Awards -- Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Watch this space for more on Lal Singh Chaddha.