Can Akshay Kumars Bell Bottom be the saviour to reboot Bollywood?
Ever since the Bollywood superstar announced Bell Bottom for a theatrical release on July 27, excitement is on the rise. Fans as well as industry watchers have applauded the move. The hope that, pandemic practicalities permitting, Kumars gesture will initiate the first step at box office normalcy for the Hindi film trade. The trade after all has maintained for a while now that, with vaccination in place and with the world cautiously opening up in the latest unlock phase, all it would take for the Hindi film trade to get going once again is one big hit. This, in turn, called for a film with the right entertainment quotient, pre-release hype and, most importantly, a star who doesnt have to try too hard to draw the crowds. Kumars Bell Bottom is a retro spy thriller set in the 80s, is shot mostly in the UK, mixes sleek espionage action with pop patriotism drama, is reportedly based on a true story, and also stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta. Cast of Bell Bottom Image Credit: Supplied  The combo would seem instantly saleable, an all-out entertainer. Bollywood hopes the film has the same impact that Ravi Tejas Krack did for the Telugu film industry and Vijays Master did for Tamil cinema in January, when big screen trade down South made a brave attempt to get back to business even as the first bid to unlock cinemas happened this year. For the record, Krack, made on a budget of around Rs160 million and released on January 9, managed more than 600 million in just about four weeks, after taking in a first weekend collection of around Rs230 million. The release of Master, coinciding with the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti (January 14), was an ambitious move, with the film rumoured to be budgeted at around Rs1.25-1.35 billion. Master did spectacularly despite pandemic protocol in theatres and the audience being wary to venture out. The film grossed Rs2.5 billion worldwide according to India Today. Vijay in Master Image Credit: Supplied  Of course, subject to cinema halls opening, a few other Hindi films were lined up for a theatrical release in July. Before the second wave of COVID-19 struck, Shershaah, starring Sidharth Malhotra was announced for July 2. Ayushmann Khurrana was scheduled to return to theatres with Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui on July 9, as was the modest-budget comedy 14 Phere featuring Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda. Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Alia Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi was planned for release after Kumars Bell Bottom, on August 30. None of the above films that were listed as possible releases in July 2021 have officially confirmed release as of now, and no one in the trade wants to hazard a guess on whether these films will be pushed back again. Perhaps, the makers are apprehensive that theatrical business all over India might not open up sufficiently by the first half of July or, even if it did, the audience may not be convinced enough to venture into the halls. At best, halls might open by July-end given the current situation (to understand the immediate situation, Maharashtra, one of the most important domestic markets for Bollywood films, recently said regular opening of cinemas would happen only in Level One zones while Level Two areas would see 50 per cent occupancy). 83, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, Bell Bottom Image Credit: Supplied  On Kumars Bell Bottom, it is interesting to note the fact that July 27, his chosen date for release, is a Tuesday. Which means Kumar and his battalion of producers (Vashu and Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani) have given themselves a three-day headstart. This would be hoping to garner word of mouth before the actual weekend kicks in. For a film like Bell Bottom, which is not a conventional mainstream entertainer, a bit of buzz would seem just the right thing to go for, in the time of uber-cautious unlock. Kumar currently has half a dozen films lined up. Of these, Bell Bottom, Sooryavanshi, Atrangi Re and Prithiviraj were scheduled for a 2021 release. Rumours suggesting Kumar is keen to release Sooryavanshi on October 2 have neither been confirmed nor denied. Two other films of the superstar, Bachchan Pandey and Ram Setu, are slated for next year, and Kumar has reportedly completed almost all shooting, except Ram Setu. A quick scan of that list tells you right away that Kumars focus with his releases this year and the next is interestingly on all-out entertainment. Akshay Kumar in Laxmii Image Credit: Disney+ Hotstar