Kangana Ranaut’s super-ambitious project, Emergency is finally set for release. It will hit theatres on January 17, 2025 after fulfilling all certification requirements.
The movie, based on the life and times of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, focusses on India’s political history during the Emergency era.
The Shiromani Akali Dal had last year raised objections on the film, claiming it could incite communal tensions while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) initially stalled its release over censorship concerns.
Kangana Ranaut, in the run-up to the release, has repeatedly said how she is relieved now that the film will be released in theatres. She, however, believes an OTT release would have been better for the film.
Here’s a run down of what Kangana has said in the several interviews she has given before the much-awaited release of the film.
— Kangana had issued a statement on Emergency’s trailer release, reported Etimes.
She said, “After a long journey filled with challenges, I’m glad that our film Emergency will finally hit the big screen on 17th January. This story isn’t just about a controversial leader; it delves into themes that remain profoundly relevant today, making the journey both difficult and significant. Releasing just a week before Republic Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the resilience of our Constitution and experience the film with your loved ones.”
— In another interview with News18 Showsha, Kangana expressed her fear about the film’s fate in the case of certification delay and mandated cuts.
“I was scared. I did feel that it was a wrong decision to release it in theatres. I thought that I could’ve got a better deal on OTT and that would mean that I didn’t have to go through any censorship. I was scared that my film would be dissected aur pata nahin kya kya nikaal dengey aur kya rakhengey (I didn’t know what they would censor and what all they would keep),” she said.
— Kangana also reflected on the challenges she faced while making her second directorial venture.
“I felt I made wrong decisions, wrong choices on many levels: firstly, by wanting to direct this film. I took it for granted that (it’d be seamless) since we didn’t have a Congress government…I thought I could get away by making a film on emergency. But, no such thing happened,” added the BJP MP.
— In a conversation with IANS, Kangana shared she harbours no complaints.
“I would have liked if the full version had come. But even with the cuts, there is no issue, because it’s not like the film was made to mock someone. It’s not like that. It’s fine. They completely removed some episodes of history. And the fact that it doesn’t impact my film, in a way, it is a testimony that it doesn’t matter,” Kangana, who is also a parliamentarian of the ruling BJP, said.
— Kangana also said also said there is no director today who deserves her.
“I’m very proudly saying that today there is not a single director in the film industry that I want to work with because they don’t have that kind of quality… that I feel that they deserve me,” she told PTI.
— Kangana, in the same interview with PTI, said she believed late Indira Gandhi was a weak woman.
“When I did my research, I understood it was quite the contrary. It also strengthened my belief that the weaker you are, the more control you would want. She was a very weak person and she was also very unsure of herself and really vulnerable. She had many crutches around and she was constantly seeking a kind of validation. She was also hugely dependent on many people, one of them was Sanjay Gandhi… I didn’t have that kind of empathy for her before ‘Emergency’,” she said.
— The film, Kangana Ranaut said, has not been made with the intention of hurting people or their sentiments so the cuts don’t matter. “As the film is not made with that intention, even if that was removed, it doesn’t impact my story.”
— Kangana also said she ran into Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter and fellow MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament and brought up the issue of the film.
“I met Mrs Priyanka Gandhi in Parliament and she complimented me on my work and my hair. So I was like, ‘You know, I made this film Emergency and maybe you should see it’. And she was like, ‘Okay, maybe’.'”
“And I think if they have a little bit of acceptance for what has been, they will appreciate the film,” she added.
— Kangana was all praise for her co-star Anupam Kher, and called him the hero of the film.
“It was very important for me to have Anupam ji in this film. If he refused to do Emergency, then I wouldn’t have made it. Look at his on-screen personality…there’s honesty on his face. No one can portray the role of Jayaprakash Narayan except him,” she said.
Set in 1975, Emergency delves into the political climate of the Emergency era. It features a young Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Shreyas Talpade), Jayaprakash Narayan (Anupam Kher), Jagjivan Ram (the late Satish Kaushik), Pupul Jayakar (Mahima Chaudhary) and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (Milind Soman).
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