Can Akshay Kumar's 'Bell Bottom' reboot Bollywood?

Can Akshay Kumar do a Vijay? Or Ravi Teja? 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, Akshay's gesture will initiate the first step at box office normalcy for the Hindi film trade.

New Delhi: Can Akshay Kumar do a Vijay? Or Ravi Teja? 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, Akshay's 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 doesn't have to try too hard to draw the crowds. Akshay's "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 co-stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta.