No, Bell Bottom is not a completely true story but inspired by true events. Bell Bottom is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language spy action thriller film written by Aseem Arrora and Parvez Sheikh, and directed by Ranjit M. Tewari. The movie is produced by Pooja Entertainment and Emmay Entertainment, and stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role, with Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta in cameo appearances.
Bell Bottom draws from the real hijackings of the Indian Airlines flights by Khalistani terrorists in the 1980s, particularly the 1984 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 421. However, the film’s plot and the characters are largely fictionalised and dramatised. The film’s disclaimer clarifies that while it is inspired by true events, it is not a direct or accurate depiction of the same.
Plot Summary
Bell Bottom is set in the 1980s when India was hit by a series of plane hijackings by the Khalistani terrorists. Anshul Malhotra, code named Bell Bottom, is a brilliant agent of the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s foreign intelligence agency. He is haunted by a personal tragedy involving his mother.
When yet another Indian Airlines flight is hijacked by Khalistani terrorists and diverted to Lahore in Pakistan, the Government of India comes under immense pressure. The terrorists make harsh demands, including the release of captured terrorists. A frustrated Indian Prime Minister authorises a covert mission to rescue the hostages.
Bell Bottom proposes a daring undercover rescue mission. Disguised as a passenger, Bell Bottom boards a decoy flight which is used to stage a phony hijacking, eventually landing in Dubai. Once on the ground, he single-handedly neutralises all the terrorists with improvised weapons, hand-to-hand combat and clever tactics.
Bell Bottom is hailed as a national hero for rescuing the 210 hostages but his identity remains a secret for the public.
Historical Elements
Bell Bottom is likely based on the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 421 flying from Delhi to Srinagar on 24th August 1984. The group of seven Khalistani hijackers diverted the flight from Srinagar to Lahore, Pakistan. The hijackers forced the flight captain to take off again. Initially, the hijackers wanted to land in the United States but eventually landed in Dubai. After intense negotiations that lasted for 14 hours, the hijackers surrendered to the Dubai authorities and released the hostages.
There was no commando-style covert operation to rescue the hostages, as depicted in the movie. However, the movie is rooted in historical events, even though its action-packed sequences and dramatic events are fictional.