This Article is From Aug 04, 2021

"An Opportunity Of A Lifetime": Lara Dutta On Playing Indira Gandhi In Bell Bottom

"There was a lot of homework and research that went behind it," said Lara Dutta

'An Opportunity Of A Lifetime': Lara Dutta On Playing Indira Gandhi In Bell Bottom

Lara Dutta and Akshay in Bell Bottom. (Image courtesy: larabhupathi)

Highlights

  • "My heart is filled with gratitude," wrote Lara Dutta
  • "There is a great responsibility," she said during a media interaction
  • "I had a great time," said Lara Dutta
New Delhi:

Ever since the trailer of the espionage thriller Bell Bottom dropped on the Internet, it has been a trending topic on social media. One actor, in particular, has been singled out for her epic transformation. Yes, we are talking about  Lara Dutta, who stars as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film. The actress, who was overwhelmed with the kind of response her look got, shared a thank you note of sorts on Instagram. She also gave a shout out to the make-up artistes who helped her achieve the look to the point of perfection. "The response to our trailer for Bell Bottom and the appreciation for the role of Mrs Indira Gandhi has been overwhelming and my heart is filled with gratitude. I'm so thankful for the faith that Akshay Kumar, Rranjit Tewari, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Pooja Entertainment had in me," she wrote.

She added in her post: "And I'd also like to thank and give full credit to Vikram Gaikwad and his team for the incredible prosthetics and make up! Can't wait for you'll to watch the film in the theatres!! See you there on the 19th of August."

See Lara Dutta's post here:

At the film's trailer launch, Lara Dutta interacted with the media and said that she was interested in the film even before she heard the script. News agency PTI quoted her as saying, "All it took was a call and they said that Lara this film is being made and we are casting for Indira Gandhi's role. It was before I heard the script... But yes, of course, there is a great responsibility when you're portraying somebody who is an iconic figure like her."

The most "challenging" aspect about playing Indira Gandhi on screen was to "get the body language of the character right." Sharing her experience and the preparation that she did for her character, Lara Dutta said, "As you all know that the film deals with a hijack situation that happened during her tenure. Given the dramatic events that were unfolding, she was somebody who was very centered and not prone to any dramatics. So it was important to portray her in that form. "I had a great time. There was a lot of homework and research that went behind it. But it was an opportunity of a lifetime that I'm thankful for."

Other than Lara Dutta and Akshay Kumar, Bell Bottom features Vaani Kapoor and Huma Qureshi. It was the first film to be shot during the pandemic, last year.

(With inputs from PTI)

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