Kangana Ranaut, the actor-politician, has announced the postponement of her directorial debut, ‘Emergency’, citing delays in receiving clearance from the censor board. The film, starring Ranaut as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on September 6th. This announcement comes just a day after the Bombay High Court refused to order certification for the film.
‘Emergency’ has been shrouded in controversy since its inception. Sikh organizations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, have raised strong objections to the film, accusing it of misrepresenting the Sikh community and presenting historical facts inaccurately. The matter is currently in court, with the next hearing scheduled for September 19th.
Earlier this week, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the co-producer of ‘Emergency’, approached the Bombay High Court seeking the release of the film. Their petition claimed that the censor board had arbitrarily and illegally withheld the censor certificate. Ranaut has also accused the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) of stalling the certification process to delay the release.
Ranaut clarified last week that the film had received clearance from the CBFC, but the certification was on hold due to alleged death threats against members of the censor board. Reports indicate that the CBFC had issued a letter requesting modifications to the film on August 8th. Zee and the co-producers submitted the revised version of the film on August 14th.
Following the submission, the co-producers received an email from the CBFC on August 29th stating that the film’s CD was sealed and the certificate could be collected from their office. Subsequently, a further email confirmed that the film certificate had been generated, and a certificate number was issued. However, despite this, the release of ‘Emergency’ remains uncertain due to the ongoing legal battle and the unresolved objections from Sikh organizations.
