The pandemic has thrown a spanner in our functioning as a society and the film industry is no exception. But the road ahead is tinted with hope when you hear film productions are about to begin soon, and Akshay Kumar’s Bell Bottom is one of them.

The crew will be flying to UK in August for the shoot. “When we got into lockdown, we were all set to begin shooting in Delhi, and fly to UK in August. To maintain that schedule is huge, and full credit should go to Vasu ji, Jackky and their team,” says director-producer Nikkhil Advani, a producer for the film. This wouldn’t be his first brush with political films with D-Day and Batla House to his credits.

“It is tough for a filmmaker to be impartial when you take subjects like these. And we end up picking a side. When you make John Abraham play a police-office, you are picking a side.” But the filmmaker admits to being drawn towards such subjects. “My next film will be more explosive, based on a true story of a Khap Panchayat case.” Does the backlash affect him? “It is getting even more difficult to toe the central line with the backlash from both sides becoming quite identical these days. There genuine conversation, but also a lot of noise. It is important to have blinders on and be convinced in your narrative.” It was Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise that has brought the debate of nepotism back to Bollywood’s doors.

“I am an outsider. My uncle was a distributor, but he knew I was in the industry for ten years  only when he saw my name onscreen. I chose to not go down that path.” Advani believes one needs a lot of talent and luck, but this applies to any industry. “There are a lot of advantages star kids get, but the Friday will not spare them.” Advani believes mental health is the larger issue that needs addressing. “I think that’s a bigger issue in the industry. Everybody faces it.”