Not many actors can boast a serendipitous career highlight like Lara Dutta’s. The Bollywood actress, who plays former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi in the coming film Bell Bottom, received first-hand information for the role from her father, a retired pilot who flew the politician for many years.
“I grew up hearing stories about her from him. So when I got the role to play her, he became my greatest source of information,” Dutta tells The National.
The former Miss Universe, 43, whose transformation into Gandhi made headlines when it was revealed last week, said her dad, retired Wing Commander LK Dutta, gave her valuable insights that helped her get into the skin of the character.
“He flew her on many occasions, from election rallies to events. And from him, I got a lot of insight into her nuances, of what she was like in real life,” Dutta explains. “From the way she gave her commands to the way she reacted around people. What was she like when offered assistance? Did she take it willingly or did she resist it? There were so many things that archived footage of her would not reveal.”
Gandhi, India’s third prime minister and the country’s first-ever female leader, served from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
The action thriller Bell Bottom, out in cinemas on Thursday, is a fictional story set around real-life plane hijackings in India in the 1980s during Gandhi’s rule. Actor Akshay Kumar plays the lead as a spy, code-named Bell Bottom, tasked with recruiting a team of agents to help stop the crimes.
Dutta, who was last seen in the 2018 film Welcome to New York, said she “grabbed the opportunity with both hands” when Kumar offered her the role of Gandhi.
“It was in May 2020 and we were in the midst of the first lockdown. It was a time of high anxiety and there was no vaccine in sight. There was so much uncertainty. Akshay called me and said, ‘We’re doing this film and we’re casting the role of Indira Gandhi and I want you to play it,” Dutta recalls.
“I started laughing because there was nothing going on then. And Akshay is one of the biggest pranksters in the industry. So I thought ‘he’s got so much time on his hands and he’s picked me today to play a prank on’.”
But Kumar, one of the highest-paid actors in Bollywood, wasn’t kidding.
“He said they were looking for an actor who had a certain kind of personality and gravitas and poise. So to give Akshay full credit, he saw me as Indira Gandhi way before I saw myself [in the role].”
The process of becoming Gandhi was painstaking, Dutta says.
“I have no physical resemblance to Mrs Gandhi. So I first sat down with Vikram Gaikwad, our head of makeup and prosthetics, who created a mould of my face and then used that to create silicone prosthetic pieces, from the nose to the jaw to the eyebrows.
“We also had to get her distinct hairdo right… her classic coiffure.”
The second stage involved watching hours and hours of footage of Gandhi.
“We really broke down all the nuances of her body language, like the way she moved her hands. Mrs Gandhi didn’t use her hands a lot, regardless of how animated the conversation was. She was always someone who was very staid, very in control, which is very different from me because I tend to use my hands a lot when I’m talking.
“We also broke down the way she stood, sat, her eye movements etc. What triggered her? What drew her reactions? The events in Bell Bottom are quite dramatic but she was the kind of person who, regardless of the exterior environment, was always in control. There were very few times you could provoke her into an animated reaction. So we had to keep all of those factors in mind.”
Finally, Dutta said she had to study the state of the country in the year the film is set in.
“1984 was possibly the peak in her life and tenure. There was a lot going on in the country at that time. So given what was going on, how would she have reacted to that particular incident at that time? So it was understanding all of this, in order for me to play the character accurately on screen.”
She’s not concerned that the expectations the film’s trailer has built might eventually work against her.
“Everyone will have varied opinions and everyone is entitled to their opinions. But I think as an actor, it was important to give a 100 per cent. I am happy with the way it’s shaped up,” she says.
“I don’t think I’m anxious or nervous. I’ve seen the film and I’m very content with the way my role has shaped up. And now I’m just excited to see people’s reactions.”
Dutta, who’s married to Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, won the Miss Universe crown in 2000. She also mentors contestants at Miss Diva, the organisation that sends India’s representatives to the Miss Universe pageant. In April, she launched her online masterclass on becoming a model and beauty queen.
“At Miss Diva, I only get the chance to work with the 20 women who are selected. But there are so many other women not just across India but around the world who could really benefit. I wish I had someone to tell me all the things I’ve learnt in the past 21 years when I started. So that’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity to do the masterclass.”
Dutta is also a film producer and in 2019 launched her vegetarian, cruelty-free line of beauty products called Arias.
“I’ve never really boxed myself into a square. I love the fact that through every decade I’ve always transitioned," she says. "And I don’t think you’ll see me stopping any time soon."
'Bell Bottom' is out in the UAE on Thursday
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
Read more about the coronavirus
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
Company%20profile
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Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
The five pillars of Islam
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
Avatar%20(2009)
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Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
