- When an Indian commercial airliner is hijacked by terrorists in the mid 1980s, a government agent is tasked with rescuing the 210 hostages.
- Akshay Kumar plays a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent in this espionage thriller, inspired by true events. The story follows this star undercover agent who goes by the code name 'Bellbottom'. After a plane is hijacked and lands in Amritsar, the seventh hijacking incident in five years, he is brought in to save the day. Akshay's character plans a daring covert operation to rescue 210 hostages and neutralise four hijackers. Vaani Kapoor plays his wife while Huma Qureshi features as one of his team members. Lara Dutta looks almost unrecognisable as former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
- Amongst multiple heinous airplane hijacks, India was made to face another such challenge in 1984. BellBottom, a RAW agent played by Akshay Kumar sees through the plan and thus, begins India's first covert operation. A story based on true events, led by BellBottom, that went on to create one of the most defining moments of the country.
- In 1984 Indian Airlines flight IC 691 is hijacked and taken to Lahore this is the fifth Indian Airlines flight hijacked in the last seven years in tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. RAW decides to appoint one of their undercover agent Anshul Malhotra known by his code name Bell Bottom who has done numerous research on the flights hijacked in last few years and the mission is personal to him as his mother succumbed to death during one of the hijacked flights.The ministry and officials rejects theories of Bell Bottom and observations but get him involved when his observation turns true.The hijacked flight is taken to Dubai where the hijackers want to negotiate with Indian officials Bell Bottom and his team arrive with the officials to Dubai where he has a set up plan but has to assure the Dubai government that there is no blood shed.—alex.mjacko@gmail.com
- In 1984, Indian Airlines Flight 691 (resembling Indian Airlines Flight 421) is hijacked, the seventh such hijacking in India in five years, with all the previous ones ending in acquiescence to the hijackers' demands that other terrorists be freed and money be delivered. During her briefing, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (Lara Dutta), frustrated at the lack of action taken on the matter, decides to allow a RAW agent code-named "Bell Bottom" (Akshay Kumar) to handle the case.
As a "mere" clerk, he is already viewed with consternation by the other officials, and his deduction that the alleged masterminds, a Khalistan separatist group named "Azaadi Dal" ('Liberation Organisation'), are merely a front for Pakistan's ISI are rebuffed by them due to improving Indo-Pakistani relations. Bell Bottom points out in each case Pakistan did successfully help India negotiate with terrorists, but in each case, India had to release terrorists and pay ransom of multiple Crores to save our citizens. R. N. Kao (Denzil Smith) is the founder of RAW and now the special advisor to the PM. He encourages Bell Bottom to speak his mind. Santook (Adil Hussain) is Bell Bottom's boss and the chief of RAW. After the plane lands in Amritsar when he predicted it would land in Lahore, he is dismissed. However, his supervisor points out that he is an expert on hijackings and is motivated by personal experience
In 1979, polymath Anshul Malhotra lives with his mother Raavie (Dolly Ahluwalia), an asthmatic who constantly visits his brother in London Aashua (Mamik Singh). Anshul's wife Radhika (Vaani Kapoor). Her flight is hijacked by terrorists, but then PM Morarji Desai (Ashok Chhabra) and Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq (Kavi Raj) negotiate and fulfill the hijackers demands in exchange for the hostages' release. However, Raavie dies, reportedly due to natural causes. Soon after, though, Anshul is abducted by RAW, who reveal that one of the hijackers, Daljeet "Doddy" Singh (Zain Khan Durrani), had purposely withheld her inhaler, pusher her into the galley and thrown heavy blankets on her, increasing her suffering as she died. Anshul is given the offer to join RAW; he accepts and takes on the code-name Bell Bottom, with his cover to his wife being that he is an embassy officer (after having cleared UPSC). After his training, which showcases his extraordinary memory and improves his previously sub-par psychical skills, he is assigned to the hijacking desk. In 1983, he finds one of the hijackers while visiting his brother in London and tracks them; he raids their house with other RAW agents and captures three of them but the fourth, Doddy Singh, escapes. Bell Bottom proposes the theory that the hijackers are working for ISI. ISI gets the planes hijacked and flown to Lahore. The govt helps India negotiate the release of terrorists. The terrorists are given a fake trial and "imprisoned", while in reality, they are free to roam around and even visit other countries. This is part of Pakistan's plan to take revenge for cutting Bangladesh from them and they intend to divide India into several smaller pieces.
Back in the present, the plane takes off from Amritsar and lands in Lahore, prompting Gandhi to order Anshul back in. He convinces her to "break script" and disallow the Pakistani side to send their negotiating team, and orders them not to refuel the plane. Bell Bottom tells Indira that now Pakistan will try to internationalize the issue. But with limited fuel, the plane cant travel far. India has better relations with Kabuk, Colombo and Kathmandu.. But Pakistan can take the plane to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat. In response, Zia sends his ISI Chief (Sunit Tandon) to keep track of the situation. In Lahore, an ISI officer replaces the hijacker with Doddy and supplies weapons and explosives. Correctly figuring that they will go to the Middle East to take advantage of their naivety in aerial terrorism, Anshul prepares for a covert operation in Dubai against the Indian ministers' wishes. Meanwhile, the Pakistani ISI Chief goes to Dubai to observe what is going on and guide Doddy.
Upon arrival, Anshul and his team, disguised as diplomatic aides, meet up with a contact Adeela Rehman (Huma Qureshi) (Anshul was forced to seek help from International agencies as India did not have any covert agent in Dubai) in the Dubai airport, where they see Dubai's emphasis on humanitarianism and avoidance of bloodshed. Doddy gives his demands to ATC in Dubai, and Bell Bottom recognizes his voice. He realizes that Doddy boarded the aircraft in Lahore, as he could not have boarded in India. Dubai refuses to permission to Indian authorities to carry out any military operation on their soil. Their first plan, covertly entering the aircraft (via the luggage section) and disarming the hijackers, is foiled when the Pakistani minister notices and closes the luggage door. Anshul's "plan B", sending in the Indian army, is also curtailed when the Dubai officials are notified and the ship they are on is denied entry.
With all avenues cut off, the ministers go to negotiate; although they agree to the terrorists demands of money, more terrorist releases (5 of them lodged in Indian jails + 1 MM pounds), and a charter flight to London for freedom, they are surprised at the terrorists extreme inhumanity and one Indian minister is taken hostage as a "VIP" target to be held until they get to London. Seemingly out of options, Anshul asks their airport contact to take them to a under-construction terminal so they can view the proceedings; however this is a ruse as Anshul reveals his knowledge of Adeela's betrayal (She was passing all info to the ISI chief) and ties her up.
Meanwhile Indira has called London to dispatch a charter flight with 1 MM pounds on board. The flight reaches Dubai and the hijackers with the freed terrorists, and 3 VIP hostages, exit the IA flight to board the British charter flight. Disguising themselves as airport workers, they take advantage of a sandstorm to get on the field, free the VIPs, and capture the terrorists, redirecting the charter flight to India. The leader of Dubai denies them take off clearance at first, but after Anshul explains how their methods fit in with Dubai's humanism, he grants it.
In India, the terrorists are booked, with Zia and the ISI leaders huffing in disgrace, and the flight is returned, with all on board safe and sound and reunited with their families. In the end, it is revealed that Radhika was actually working for RAW and had informed them of her husband's abilities and background in the first place. 1984 was India's first covert operation on foreign soil and brought India and Dubai together
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content