Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | September 17, 2021

Rating: 1/5

The Essence: Huma Qureshi is super quick in her dialogue delivery while Vaani Kapoor gets to make breakfast, sing a song in Scotland and also have a scene at the MTNL office. Akshay Kumar was called wooden in his earlier days. He proves those critics right with his performance in Bell Bottom.

First, there is a hijack. Bell Bottom is called to solve the case. Bell Bottom is a code name for the RAW official who has invested himself in solving hijack issues. That’s what we are told. Why we will understand later.

Then there’s a flashback. The flashback is to let us know why Bell Bottom is invested so much in hijack issues and why he is the best, according to his RAW superior. In the flashback, there’s a wedding celebration in India. Anshul Malhotra (Akshay Kumar) and his wife Radhika (Vaani Kapoor) begin dancing on the stage and soon move to Scotland to complete the dance. How do I know? The makers of the film thanked the Govt of Scotland, in the beginning. End of dance in Scotland, which began in India, sees them back in India, with Anshul playing an electric guitar without a jack connecting it to the amplifier!

After the song, Anshul’s mother has to travel somewhere. The plane is hijacked. Mind you, we are still in the flashback. Passengers return by train from Lahore, she dies on the plane. One of the hijackers did not give her the inhaler. 

Back to the present day. Bell Bottom claims with confidence that ISI is behind the hijacking of the aircraft, we saw in the beginning. “The plane will land in Lahore,” he tells the high-powered team chaired by Indira Gandhi. A message comes from sources that the plane lands elsewhere.

Madam is angry. Bell Bottom loses face and walks out

Another flashback. This one is a long sequence. It shows how Anshul is inducted into RAW. While on a scooter one night (I think it is a Vespa), a vehicle coming from the front, blinds him with the headlights. The fellow is thrown on the road. He could have died. It appears that RAW has kidnapped him. Trust RAW to get dramatic in movies!

Anyways, RAW tells him what even reporters did not know: how his mother died. They work him up and then hire him.

Anshul is now officially Bell Bottom.

Flashback over, the plane lands in Lahore! Madam rolls her eyes in surprise. She calls Bell Bottom inside. He has time till sunset to rescue the passengers. Bell Bottom tells Madam not to let Pakistan negotiate with the terrorist. India will. He also tells her to inform Zia Ul-Haq, President of Pakistan, not to refuel the aircraft. 

The plane goes to Dubai. RAW also lands there. At their help desk, they have an ISI agent. Of course, the Dubai government does not know about this development.

Anyways there’s a sandstorm and Bell Bottom knows about it. He is ready to take on nature’s fury, with scarves and goggles for his team. His mother had told him that there should always be a backup for a backup. 

They not only get the passengers back to India (taking the hijackers by surprise under the cover of the sandstorm) but also haul back the four hijackers and the seven released terrorists.

It’s not over till it’s over says Anshul’s boss Santook (Adil Hussain), who in one scene tells us a story of a puppy asking his mother who his father is. Mama dog says she does not know because dada dog came from behind. No pun intended.

The boss laughs at his joke.

Passengers are safe. Madam is happy. Poor Lara Dutta, can’t even smile with happiness for fear of the prosthetics giving way. 

The movie has ended. Radhika comes on the line to speak with Santook. Is she also with Raw? Or is she with MTNL? Who cares???

Huma Qureshi is super quick in her dialogue delivery while Vaani Kapoor gets to make breakfast, sing a song in Scotland and also have a scene at the MTNL office. Akshay Kumar was called wooden in his earlier days. He proves those critics right with his performance in Bell Bottom.

Truly, this is Bhel Bottom!

CREDITS
Producer: Vashu Bhagnani 
Director: Ranjit Tewari
Star Cast: Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Akshay Kumar, Adil Hussain

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