Everything to know about the real-life hijacking that inspired akshay kumar’s ‘bell bottom’ - scoopwhoop

Akshay Kumar starrer _Bell Bottom_ has been making waves ever since the trailer released and people were blown away by Lara Dutta’s amazing transformation into former PM, Indira Gandhi. The

film is a fictionalized account of the 1980s hijackings carried out by the Khalistani separatists. Between 1981 to 1984, multiple airlines flying from India were hijacked, mostly by

Khalistani separatists and militants.  _Bell Bottom _primarily focuses on the August 1984 hijacking, though it takes inspiration from the other events as well, such as the August 1982

hijacking, where a police officer disguised as a pilot boarded the flight and overpowered the hijackers with the help of the passengers.  Just over a month after Indian Airlines jet IC 405

was hijacked, on August 24, 1984, a group of seven hijackers took over Indian Airlines jetliner IC 421, flying from Delhi to Srinagar. The flight was diverted from Srinagar, India to Lahore,

Pakistan.  Though reports over the exact number of passengers differ, Aviation Safety Network lists 74 occupants, and zero casualties.  However, the passengers and crew were trapped on

board for over 36 hours, from the time the hijackers, all in their 20s, stormed into the cockpit to the time they surrendered (to authorities in Dubai). At the time, it was the longest

hijack in Indian aviation history.  Though it ended with zero casualties, what transpired between those 36 hours was one tough ordeal. As per an India Today exclusive report, the militants

were initially armed with only a _Kirpan _(small sword), but somehow acquired a pistol when the flight was grounded in Lahore, Pakistan.  The pistol emboldened the hijackers to further

threaten the pilot, Captain V.K. Mehta, to fly according to their demands. ADVERTISEMENT ORIGINALLY, THE HIJACKERS WANTED TO LAND IN THE USA. BUT THEY ULTIMATELY LANDED IN DUBAI, WHERE THEY

SURRENDERED TO THE UAE AUTHORITIES AFTER 14-HOUR-LONG NEGOTIATIONS.  But for the longest time, the Dubai airport authority did not provide the aircraft permission to land forcing air hostess

Rita Singh to address the passengers and prepare them for the possibility of the aircraft landing in the sea. However, at the last moment, they received permission from the Dubai

authorities to land. And then the negotiations started, even as the plane remained grounded in the scorching heat.  During the negotiations, the hijackers even threatened to kill a passenger

every half hour, and chose K. Subrahmanyam, director of the Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, to relay this information to the authorities. Apparently, he was told

that he would be the first victim.  However, after intense negotiations, the hijackers relented, apparently when they were promised safe passage to the US. Soon, the passengers and crew were

allowed to leave the flight, and the hijackers were transported to an undisclosed location in a white van. Later, the hijackers were extradited to India by UAE.  At the time, it was through

the collaborative efforts of both, the Indian and UAE authorities, that the hijacking ended with no casualties. However, at present, the film’s release has reportedly been banned in Saudi

Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, allegedly for historical inaccuracy.  _The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video._