Makers of Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bell Bottom’ may be forced to push the release of the film once again. This after the fact that the lockdown restrictions have been rolled back in a few states, with no sign of theatres opening up by the end of this month, as film industry experts were hoping for. On June 15, producer Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment had announced the release date of the film to be July 27 and it was to be the first big film to release in the cinemas since lockdown 2.0 came into effect. There is also buzz in the trade circles that the film may not even release in theatres in August. When asked about the release being pushed to mid-August, Raj Bansal, a leading distributor and multiplex owner from Rajasthan said, “Looking at the current situation I don’t think cinemas will fully open by July 27 so there is every chance ‘Bell Bottom’ may release on August 13.”
While producer Vashu Bhagnani was not available for comment, a source close to the unit said, “There is no decision taken on ‘Bell Bottom’ yet as theatres are yet to open in the country.” The makers will also now make sure the film releases in the theatre at an appropriate time. The OTT release date will be affected accordingly, as well.
‘Bell Bottom’ project has managed to lead the charge from the beginning. Even last year, it hit the headlines for being the first Hindi film to be shot and completed during the pandemic with exemplary on-set COVID management.
‘Bell Bottom’ is a spy thriller directed by Ranjit Tewari and stars Akshay Kumar, Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta and Vani Kapoor.
