Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is back in theatres with his much-awaited movie, Bellbottom, starring alongside Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta, and Huma Qureshi. The film hit theatres in India on August 19, though Maharashtra is yet to re-open cinemas. Meanwhile, it is released in selected theaters abroad.

Now, it has been learnt Bellbottom has been cleared for theatrical release by Censor Board in UAE. The film will release on August 20, 2021.

However, the film has been reportedly banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait due to content not being fit for exhibition. A source informed Bollywood Hungama, “The second half of Bellbottom shows the hijackers taking the aircraft to Dubai from Lahore. As per the actual incident that took place in 1984, U.A.E Defence Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had personally handled the situation and it was the U.A.E authorities who had nabbed the hijackers. In Bellbottom, Indian officials, including the character played by Akshay Kumar, are shown as heroes of the episode. They also keep the U.A.E Defence Minister in dark about their operation. So there’s a strong possibility that the Censor Board in the Middle Eastern countries must have taken objection to it and hence banned it.”

Based on true events, the film is directed by Ranjit M Tewari.

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