HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 27, 2020)

With months of meticulous planning behind them, Pooja Entertainment is Bollywood’s first production house off the block to shoot a complete schedule of its big-budget spy thriller, Bellbottom, with actor Akshay Kumar in the lead. Vashu Bhagnani’s production house is chartering a full flight to fly the entire unit with top-grade medical facilities to go to United Kingdom for the shoot. The team is set for an extended shoot, which is set to begin soon. Besides medical-grade masks and face shields, after consulting medical experts, the production house is making it mandatory for the entire cast and crew to wear a wrist watch that will constantly monitor their oxygen levels, body temperature, blood pressure, stress levels and pulse. A centralised dashboard will constantly record the parameters of the entire unit and keep a check for any changes in the readings.

Commenting on this, producer Jackky Bhagnani says that the health of his unit is of utmost importance. “I am truly grateful to Akshay sir without whom this film and this shoot would not have been possible. He is a rock and our guiding light. It is only after every department and individual was assured of the measures taken that we decided to embark on this journey. From a doctor on the set at all times, to keeping the entire set disinfected throughout, safety first is our mantra. It’s a challenge but it makes Bellbottom even more special for all of us,” he says.

Kumar says, “The new normal has made us realise a different way of working that none of us could have imagined. As much as I’m happy to be back on the sets, it’s also important for us to take care of everything around us. Pooja Entertainment has laid down a safety plan for our shooting schedule abroad. We hope these measures help us accomplish a smooth and safe shoot.”

Bellbottom’s on-set guidelines will also include maintaining social distancing of no less than 6 feet wherever possible; hand sanitising stations will be made available on the set, and all surface areas and equipments will be disinfected frequently using alcohol-based sanitisers before and after shoot.

Bellbottom, a retro drama with Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Huma S Qureshi and Lara Dutta, was announced late last year. Pooja Entertainment took the decision to shoot a start to finish stint keeping the global health crisis in mind. Director Ranjit M Tewari adds, “It is going to be a challenging shoot given the circumstances, but I am confident of the health and safety protocols put in place by Pooja Entertainment. Every member of the Bellbottom family is exhilarated and geared up to kick-start work.”

Production Designer Amit Subrata says, “It is a challenging time to shoot a film, but I look at it as a creative challenge — to manage all that is going on around us, keep protocols in place, and despite that, to help and create a special feel for this film.” Sushant, head of spot boy team for Bellbottom, says, “All spot boys and technical staff have been taken through the best practices to be followed on set. We are well-versed with the processes now. And everyone is excited to get back to work.”

While the actors are excited to resume shooting, they are also relieved that their health is in safe hands. The Bellbottom team is expected to take off any time now.

Pooja Entertainment presents, in association with Emmay Entertainment, Bellbottom, produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani. Bellbottom written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Shaikh is set to release on April 2, 2021.