The casting of Lara Dutta as Indira Gandhi was suggested by Akshay Kumar, according to the director of ‘Bell Bottom’

New Delhi: Since the release of the trailer for Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bell Bottom,’ Lara Dutta’s portrayal of Indira Gandhi has been a topic of discussion.

In an interview with IANS, Ranjit M. Tewari, the film’s director, explained why, despite Lara’s facial features not resembling those of the late former Prime Minister, she was cast in the role. He explained that the transformation was a result of the advancements in prosthetics science over the years.

“This was one of the most important casting choices for my film,” Tewari explained. “When we see Lara in person, we notice that she carries herself with dignity and that she has a strong personality. Akshay sir came up with the idea of casting Lara, so credit goes to him. Then I wondered how I could make her look like Mrs Gandhi. She bears no resemblance to her.

“I had two choices: make Lara look exactly like Mrs Gandhi, or create a similar look while retaining the essence of the ‘Mrs Gandhi look.’ Then I sat down with (makeup artist) Vikram Gaikwad, and after several discussions and photoshop sessions, we decided to go with prosthetics.

I saw Lara in her Mrs Gandhi look for the first time when she had 70% of her prosthetics on. ‘That’s it!’ I exclaimed. ‘We discovered the look!’ I am overjoyed that the effort she has put into her appearance has been recognised. Lara’s performance, on the other hand, added so much dignity to the character.”

‘Bell Bottom,’ which is based on a real-life hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight in 1984, also stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, and Adil Hussain. The film will be released in theatres on August 19.

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