Most viewers did a double-take when the trailer of BellBottom was launched. Reason — Lara Dutta was almost unrecognisable as she slipped into the role of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the Akshay Kumar-starrer. “For any actor, playing Mrs Gandhi is a huge honour,” begins Dutta. When the offer came her way, she was initially unsure of taking up the part. “When Akshay called, I asked him if he was sure [about casting me in the role]. Once I said yes, the magnitude of the responsibility dawned on me. Vikram Gaekwad did a great job on the prosthetics, creating wrinkles and pigmentation because I played her in her 60s. Once the look came together, I was more convinced I could pull it off.” 

It was then time for Dutta to imbibe the traits of India’s Iron Lady. With director Ranjit M Tewari, she watched archival footage of Gandhi, studying her body 
language and interactions. She also fell back on father LK Dutta’s experiences with the former prime minister. “He was Mrs Gandhi’s pilot, and has flown her on innumerable occasions, including election rallies. We grew up hearing first-hand stories of his interactions with her. I had this ready-made vault of knowledge on her."