From the time the trailer of the Akshay Kumar-starrer Bell Bottom was out, the transformation of Lara Dutta as Indira Gandhi has become a talking point.

In an interview, the film’s director Ranjit M Tewari shared why, despite Lara’s facial features not being similar to those of the late Prime Minister, she was selected for the part. The transformation, he said, was a reflection of the progress the science of prosthetics had made over the years. “This was one of the important casting decisions,” Tewari said. “If we look at Lara in real life, she carries herself with a lot of dignity and has a very strong personality. Initially, the idea of casting Lara came from Akshay sir, so the credit goes to him.”—IANS