Lara Dutta: No matter how big OTT gets, nothing can take away from the cinema experience – Times of India

Lara Dutta has managed to catch the audience’s fancy with her close resemblance to former Indian Prime Minister, the late Indira Gandhi, in the trailer of ‘Bell Bottom’. And as the film gears up for release, fans are eager to find out what more is in store for them. The film has received a positive response as far as advance booking is concerned and the team is all pepped up to entertain on the big screen. “It is super exciting, you can sense it in the air; everyone is ready,” exults Lara.

It is after a long break that a tent pole movie is arriving on the big screen and the actress is keen for the audience to return to theatres. Lara Dutta states, “No matter how big OTT gets, no matter how fantastic the content is on streaming platforms, nothing can take away from that cinema experience, at least for us Indians. And I feel that for the last 16-17 months, all of India has been locked down, locked up. It’s not been the greatest of times. It is definitely the hardest times in our lifetime. So, I think people really want a break to get back to theatres and watch something good on screen”.

Having said that, Lara also wants the audience to be cautious. She says, “I don’t think Covid is going to go away soon, but life just can’t be put on hold. Of course, every country, including ours, has made vaccines a priority but I think slowly, as more and more people in India get vaccinated, we have to get on with life. We need to take all the precautions. We like to encourage people to watch a movie in a theatre. But please also protect yourself and your family. Everyone must follow all the protocols that have been put into place so that we can all safely go out there and get on with our lives and also enjoy the kind of entertainment that is most loved in India”.

Directed by Ranjit M Tewari, ‘Bell Bottom’, an espionage thriller is headlined by Akshay Kumar and Vaani Kapoor, with Huma Qureshi essaying a pivotal role. Set in 1984, the movie is based on real events of a hijack, and is scheduled for a theatrical release on August 19.