Mumbai: The makers of Akshay Kumar starrer Bell Bottom were delighted to have managed a theatrical release of their much-awaited film in these uncertain times. The spy thriller has been receiving some positive reviews since it was released in cinemas worldwide on August 19.
However, the news of three Gulf nations banning the exhibition of Bell Bottom has come as a spoiler.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have barred Bell Bottom from being screened as the film certification authorities in their respective countries are learnt to have objected to tampering with historical facts.
Bell Bottom, based on secret Indian operations against hijacking of its planes in the 1980s, depicts Akshay’s character leading the operation with the UAE Defence Minister being in the dark.
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“The second half of Bell Bottom shows hijackers taking the aircraft to Dubai from Lahore. The actual incident that took place in 1984 had UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum personally handling the situation and it was the UAE authorities who had nabbed the hijackers,” Bollywood Hungama quoted a source as saying.
“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,” the source added.
Akshay apart, the the Ranjit M Tewari-directed Bell Bottom features Adil Hussain, Lara Dutta, Denzil Smith, Huma Qureshi and Vaani Kapoor.
It’s the first major Hindi film to hit theatres after relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
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