Before Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency faced release delays due to controversy, it was approved for a ‘UA’ certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with the condition of three edits and providing factual sources for some historical quotes. These included statements by US President Richard Nixon about Indian women and Winston Churchill’s comment on Indians “breeding like rabbits,” as reported by The Sunday Express.
A ‘UA’ rating means the film is suitable for viewing with parental guidance. The film was submitted for certification on July 8, and by August 8, weeks before Sikh groups called for a ban, the CBFC had listed 10 changes needed for approval.
The committee asked the filmmakers to remove or change certain scenes, like one showing a soldier hitting an infant’s head and another of three women being beheaded during an attack on Bangladeshi refugees. They also requested that an expletive shouted by a crowd after a leader’s death be replaced and that a family’s surname in a line be changed.
The CBFC also requested sources for all research, statistics, and details about Bangladeshi refugees, court rulings, and permission to use archival footage from ‘Operation Bluestar.’
Last Friday, Ranaut took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce that the release of Emergency has been owing delayed pending CBFC certification. “With a heavy heart, I announce that my directorial Emergency has been postponed. We are still waiting for the certification from the censor board. The new release date will be announced soon. Thanks for your understanding and patience,” Kangana had posted on X.
Kangana Ranaut is not just playing the lead in Emergency but is also directing it. Besides Kangana, the film also stars Anupam Kher, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry and Shreyas Talpade among others. While Shreyas Talpade will be seen playing the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Anupam Kher will be seen as Jayaprakash Narayan. Late actor Satish Kaushik will also be seen as Former Deputy Prime Minister of India, Jagjivan Ram.
However, the film has been facing boycotts and ban calls. Several Sikh organisations have accused the film of presenting the community in the wrong light. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akhal Takht have also demanded an immediate ban on the film, claiming it tries to “character assassinate” Sikhs by creating a narrative against them.
Comments
0 comment