Bell Bottom: Akshay Kumar restricts daredevilry to screen

Akshay Kumar in a still from Bell Bottom

The unit of Akshay Kumar-starrer Bell Bottom headed to Glasgow in the first week of August, becoming among the first few teams in Bollywood to kick off work in the post-COVID world. Knowing that shooting in the midst of a pandemic comes with its own risks, co-producer Jackky Bhagnani accompanied them to ensure safety measures were implemented. A source says that crew members, including the local drivers and unit hands, have been instructed to live within the premises cordoned off for the shoot, thus minimising interaction with the outside world. The production team is also ensuring that meals are prepared by specially appointed cooks to keep unit hands from ordering food from restaurants.

Jackky Bhagnani

"The cast and crew are staying together at one location. On a daily basis, oximeter and temperature readings are being recorded by a doctor present in the premises. While the sets are sanitised after the shoot every day, sanitisation tunnels have been installed for crew members to use before reporting to work. Jackky has ensured that PPE kits and medical equipment are constantly available, and fresh masks provided to the 145-member crew," says the source.

The hairstylists attend to Lara Dutta

The thriller, set in the '80s and revolving around a series of plane hijacks, features an ensemble cast of Huma Qureshi, Lara Dutta and Vaani Kapoor. The prep for each shot naturally takes longer as each actor is first attended to by the hairstyling team, followed by the make-up artistes. "The unit is maintaining a distance of six feet, as much as is possible," adds the source. Director Ranjit M Tewari is expected to wrap up the shoot in two weeks.

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