Bell Bottom banned in Saudi Arabia? What it could mean for the film

Akshay Kumar-Vaani Kapoor's Bell Bottom that recently released in a limited number of theatres in India is reportedly banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.

According to Bollywood Hungama, the movie, which was released on August 19, might never see the light of the day in these three countries. The content of the film, according to them, might not be correct and hence, cannot be screened.

Bell Bottom's second half sees the hijackers from Pakistan take the Indian plane to the shores of Dubai. They were forced to do so when the Indian ministry refused to negotiate with the terrorists in Lahore.

The source told the portal, "As per the actual incident that took place in 1984, UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum had personally handled the situation and it is the UAE authorities who nabbed the hijackers." However, Bell Bottom sees Akshay Kumar and his team (all Indians) in action while capturing the terrorists.

Apart from that, the film sees how the Indians keep the UAE Defence Ministry in the dark about their covert operations, and the ministry actually not even realizing about the situation till the last moment. According to the little birdie, this aspect in the film offended the Censor Board in the Middle East countries who later decided to object to the film. This could have led to the ban on the movie.

The situation does not look good for a film like Bell Bottom, which would have marked the beginning of a 'new normal' for movie-goers. The film is released in a time when many theatres have not opened up in India. This has also affected the business of the movie drastically.

Bell Bottom, despite being an Akshay Kumar film, has managed to mint only Rs. 2.50 crore in two days, which is an all-time low for the superstar in the recent past. Of course, theatres being shut down in Maharashtra contributes to that loss the most but the film being banned in places where Bollywood is loved, does not look too good for the movie.

Apart from Maharashtra, Bell Bottom could not be released in Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Kerala and Andaman. Additionally, the movie was leaked online before its release.

Bell Bottom also stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta and Adil Hussain in pivotal roles. The film is directed by Ranjit M. Tewari and it is produced by Vashu, Jackky Bhagnani and family's Pooja Entertainment.

Also Read: Bell Bottom review: Akshay Kumar starring film takes you back to the 70s