Akshay Kumar and co launched the theatrical trailer of the action thriller, Bell Bottom, recently in Delhi. Among many other factors, including Kumar’s performance, the trailer has got the social media talking about Lara Dutta’s transformation into former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The actress dons an unrecognizable avatar with use of prosthetics and make up. When asked about being offered this character, the actress said, “It was Akshay who called me to offer this part in May last year. He said that they are casting for a film called Bell Bottom and wanted me to play Ms. Indira Gandhi.”
Lara added, “I was like, how did you think of me for the role because there is barely any resemblance between the two of us in real life. But Akshay was clear that the look will be managed and they were on the lookout for an actor who has a body language and presence to justify the character. I have to give Akshay a lot of credit because he saw me in this role before I could.” Lara insists that playing an iconic personality like Indira Gandhi was an opportunity she wouldn’t let pass by her. “Any actor would give right arm to play an iconic character like Ms. Gandhi on screen. Once I committed to it, there was a huge responsibility to train to look like her on screen.”
Prod her on the use of prosthetic and hair make up and Lara explains, “We worked with Vikram Gaikwad to create this entire look. He made an entire mold of my face first and did all the prosthetics on that. Beyond the prosthetics, a lot of work was done for ageing the face, wrinkles, pigmentation and of course, Ms. Gandhi had a hairstyle that was a part of her personality. We got all of it together and did a look test and were surprised with the outcome. I couldn’t recognize myself in the Mirror. I was like, now that we have manage to create a resemblance that’s actually close to what she was, it’s now upto me to elevate the performance to match the look.”
Lara informs that it took her three hours daily to wear the entire make-up. “It took me three hours in the morning before I could be on the set and one hour to take everything off. It was a long process, but worth it.” And it must be even tedious with the early morning schedules? She smiles, “I have already done 13 films with Akshay and I am very comfortable working with him. I have no problem getting up so early.” For Lara, the character in Bell Bottom is much beyond just the prosthetics as she had to undergo body language training too. “The director (Ranjit Tewari) made me watch a lot of videos of Ms. Gandhi. It gave a good insight into the kind of body language she had. I made a lot of notes about her eye movements, hand movements, the way she spoke and how clear she was in her approach. She was never overly dramatic.”
Lara shares an exciting anecdote that her father, Wing Commander L.K. Dutta, was Indira Gandhi’s personal pilot. “He had flown her many times and knew her personally. I grew up as a kid hearing stories about her. So, in a way, I felt an indirect personal connection with her,” she concludes. Bell Bottom is gearing up for a theatrical release across the globe on August 19.
