Kangana's 'Emergency' postponed as CBFC withholds green signal
A row has broken out over the alleged 'misleading' and 'offensive portrayals' of the Sikh community, which has ostensibly led to the delay in the release of 'Emergency'
Kangana Ranaut's new film 'Emergency' has been postponed due to a row over the alleged 'misleading' and 'offensive portrayals' of the Sikh community.
The release of the film, based on the 1975 Emergency and starring BJP MP Ranaut as former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was due to be released on September 6. But it has now been pushed back and the new date has not been announced.
Media reports said the film board, which said it would into account the sentiments of every community, has asked for more cuts. The film's trailer had kicked up a controversy in Punjab.
Sikhs upset
The row started a few weeks ago when the trailer of the film 'Emergency' was released. It showed Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, leader of the separatist Khalistan movement, promising to garner votes for Indira’s political party, the Congress, in exchange for a separate Sikh state.
The Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal quickly sent a legal notice to the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC), requesting the film’s release to be halted over concerns about its portrayal of Sikhs. The trailer also upset other Sikh organisations, including the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
In its legal notice, the Shiromani Akali Dal claimed the film may 'incite communal tensions' and 'spread misinformation'.
The legal notice sent to the CBFC on August 27 said that such 'depictions' are not only 'misleading but also deeply offensive' and damaging to the social fabric of Punjab and the entire nation.
"It is apparent that Ranaut has chosen the subject of the Emergency not to make a genuine political or historical statement against Congress, but rather to target the Sikh community," read the notice. It also claimed the movie portrays the Sikh community in an 'unjust and negative light'.
Ranaut defends the film
Ranaut defended her film claiming that she was ready to go to court to defend the film. According to the Mandi MP there is pressure on them to not show the assassination of Mrs Gandhi, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the Punjab riots. "I don't know what we will show then…" she had said in an earlier post on X, formerly Twitter.
"This is unbelievable time for me and I am very sorry for this state of things in this country," she had said. A report quoting CBFC sources said certification “can and may take more time” due to the “sensitivity of the issue involved.”