BellBottom trailer out: Akshay Kumar is a spy on a mission

The disclaimer at the start of BellBottom's trailer reads: "Although the film is inspired by a true event, it is not the replication of actual happenings."

Ranjit M Tiwari's film, which opens in 1984 with the hijacking of an Indian commercial plane, seems to operate in this factual greyzone. It's seemingly based on the Airbus 300 hijacking that happened in the 80s, but with several details altered. The trailer begins with the then-Prime Minister being briefed about the crisis at hand. She's told that only one man can handle the case: a spy by the codename of Bellbottom (Akshay Kumar).

Of course, there's more to BellBottom than retro stylings. He's married (Vaani Kapoor in a couple of scenes) and has a sharp memory (the more relevant detail). He's also a national-level chess player, a singing instructor and fluent in multiple languages. Scooting in at the PMO, he confidently identifies the hijackers, and sets about his mission. His suggestion for a covert operation prompts a curt response. "Your deadline is sunset," says the PM, like someone commissioning a listicle.

Eventually, we learn that BellBottom's plan is to infiltrate the plane posing as a fuel crew. The particulars of their mission plays out over different locations, from London to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Huma Qureshi appears in the Dubai section, while Lara Duta is unrecognisable as the late PM Indira Gandhi. The final sequence—as showcased by the trailer—is an epic takeoff in a desert storm.

BellBottom at times looks like a mashup of several Akshay Kumar movies, especially Baby and Airlift. He sports the same moustache from Baby (a tad thicker), while the retro setting recalls films like Action Replayy and Rustom. Most evident, though, is the actor's commitment to save the nation at all costs. "Iss Baar, Unki Haar," he says in the trailer. "This time, their defeat." Us. Them. Fact. Fiction.

BellBottom is directed by Ranjit M Tiwari and written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Shaikh. It is releasing in 2D and 3D in theatres on August 19.