Kangana Ranaut's Emergency lands in legal trouble; plea seeks ban on the film

After much delay, Kangana Ranaut’s much-anticipated film Emergency is all set to release in theatres on September 6. But the film has landed in fresh trouble after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sent a legal notice to the producers of the Emergency for allegedly “misrepresenting the character and history of the Sikh” community. Along with the legal notice, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a ban on the release of the movie.

Kangana’s Emergency lands in trouble

Actress Kangana Ranaut is playing the role of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Emergency. Along with starring in the film, Kangana has also written, directed and produced the film under her banner Manikarnika Films.

After the trailer of Emergency was released on August 14, a PIL was filed at the High Court, stating that the trailer depicts erroneous historical facts and that the film promotes ‘hatred towards Sikh community’. The PIL even stated that the film Emergency has been made to destroy the social fabric of Punjab.

Alleging that the film depicts faulty historical facts, the petition revealed that the scene in the trailer where Sant ji (Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale) is seen ‘striking a deal in the General Elections’ has no historical basis and is included to defame the Sikh community. It even states that the trailer misrepresents the character of Sikhs and creates an ‘anti-Sikh narrative’.

Earlier, SGPC’s legal adviser advocate Amanbir Singh Siali asked the makers to remove scenes showcasing anti-Sikh sentiments from the film and demanded the withdrawal of the trailer with a written apology to the Sikh community.

Stating that the depiction of Bhindranwale in the trailer has no historical basis, the notice claimed that the film would become an instrument to hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.

The petitioners are demanding the Centre and Central Board of Film Certification to cancel the certificate issued to it for release in the public domain. They also demand Punjab DGP to register an FIR against Kangana Ranaut and the people associated with the film.

On August 21, the SGPC and the Akal Takht demanded an immediate ban on Emergency, alleging that the film promotes ‘anti-Sikh sentiments’

Emergency cast

Helmed, written and produced by Kangana Ranaut, Emergency stars the actress herself, along with Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Vishak Nair, and Satish Kaushik, among others.