Akshay Kumar's Bell Bottom banned in three Gulf countries; here's why

Akshay Kumar's latest release, Bell Bottom – has landed in hot waters. The film, which has received rave reviews, has been banned in several Gulf countries. It is said that factual errors in the film are the reason behind Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait banning the film in their countries. Bell Bottom team has not reacted to the controversy yet.

Bell Bottom is one of the very few films to have been released in theatres this year. The film has so far received a warm response and already has a long queue of people waiting to watch it on digital platforms.

Amid all this, the film has been banned in three Gulf countries. The film's plot revolves around a 1984 plane hijack and shows the separatists first landing the plane in Lahore and then taking it to Dubai. Then comes RAW agent Akshay Kumar who rescues the passenger.

The factual error

Now, UAE has alleged that it was their authorities who carried the operation completely and rescued the passengers. They have asserted that it was Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashi Al Maktoum, the then Defence Minister, who carried out the coveted operation. While Akshay Kumar would be seen as a RAW agent Bell Bottom, Lara Dutta would be seen in the film as Indira Gandhi. Adil Hussain, Vaani Kapoor, and Huma Qureshi are the other stars in the film.

Lara's reaction to playing Indira Gandhi

Akshay Kumar had revealed in an interview with a leading daily that it was he who suggested Lara's name for the role. He added that Lara thought he was playing a prank on her for the longest time.

"I did suggest Lara's name for the role. For some reason, she was the first person who came to my mind. I remember calling her up and telling her about this film that I was doing and that we were casting for the role of Indira Gandhi in it. I wanted her to consider it. And she started laughing and refused to believe I was seriously asking her to consider it. For the longest time, she thought I was playing a prank as she saw no similarity between the two whatsoever. But then I explained to her what the role entailed and why I felt she could do justice to it."

Box Office Collections

Bell Bottom earned Rs. 2.75 crore at the domestic box office on its opening day and Rs. 2.60 crore on the second day. On the third day, the collections were Rs. 3 crore. On the fourth day, the film increased box office collections to Rs. 4.40 crore, with the total opening weekend domestic collection to Rs. 12.75 crore. The global and domestic together reportedly reached Rs. 21.13 crore as of Aug. 22, 2021.