296. Bell Bottom; movie review

BELL BOTTOM

Cert 12A

123 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate threat, violence

Oh, how I have missed my Bollywood movies over the past two years.

It was as if time stood still as I took in Akshay Kumar playing a national hero against Pakistan. 

The Indians do jingoism as well as the Americans and Bell Bottom is one of the many films to have India's near-neighbour perceived as a bogeyman 

Ranjit M Tewari's movie is set in 1984 when an Indian Airlines flight becomes the seventh in five years to be hijacked.

Kumar plays a researcher for India's foreign intelligence agency, RAW.

Codenamed Bell Bottom (after his flared 70s-style trousers), he is drafted into crisis talks led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (Lara Dutta), advising a different strategy from her close circle.

It transpires that Bell Bottom has a particular beef about hijackings since one was associated with a family tragedy.

Thus, he has immersed himself in the subject for years and believes he knows what others don't - that Pakistan is behind them.

Bell Bottom is meant to be derived from a number of real life incidents which happened during the 70s and 80s rather than just one.

It seizes on evidence which was presented at a press conference six years ago.

Is it deliberately inflammatory? Probably but the number of similar films suggests that Indian cinema certainly doesn't appear to be in the mood to pour water on fire 

It biggest stars are given the job of metaphorically raising the flag and shouting "Jai Hind (victory to India)."

Kumar does just that here in a film which is entertaining and even thrilling. I just worry about its impact.

Reasons to watch: Akshay Kumar at his action-man best

Reasons to avoid: Its political aggression

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? The number of hijackings in the aviation industry has been decreasing during recent decades. In 2021, three aircraft hijackings were reported. In May 2021, a Ryanair jet was intercepted by Belarusian authorities while flying over Belarus on route to Vilnius, Lithuania. This occurrence is considered to be the most recent hijacking incident in the global aviation industry.

The final word. Akshay Kumar: "With this film, I would like the audience to see and understand the life of agents, who are unsung heroes. They will get to see how they work selflessly for the country without expecting anything in return. Their contribution to our nation, more often than not, goes unnoticed and people should know about them." Forbes

 

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