Akshay Kumar’s Bell Bottom was one of the first films to be released in theatres after a long time. Mostly all the movies were released on online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video etc. This came as a relief to the theatre owners because they have suffered major losses in the pandemic. And the entry with an A-list actor’s film is more than a gift for theatre owners, they wish Bell Bottom will be able to pull the crowd to theatres. But it seems the Bell Bottom is facing difficulties while releasing in Gulf countries. In a recent event, three middle east nations, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar banned Bell Bottom for portraying misinterpreted history.
An insider of Bollywood Hungama revealed, “The second half of Bell Bottom shows the hijackers taking the aircraft to Dubai from Lahore. As per the actual incident that took place in 1984, United Arab Emirates Defence Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had personally handled the situation and it was the UAE authorities who had nabbed the hijackers. So there’s a strong possibility that the Censor Board in the Middle Eastern countries must have taken objection to it and hence banned it.”
Bell Bottom as said by makers is inspired by true events in the 1980s when an Indian plane was hijacked by terrorists. Akshay plays the no-nonsense spy adamant to free the hostages. Other star cast includes Vaani Kapoor playing Akshay Kumar’s wife and Lara Dutta essaying the character of Former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.
