With less than a week remaining until the release of Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency. The film is facing significant controversy over its alleged depiction of sensitive content. The Shiromani Akali Dal has called for a ban on the movie, accusing it of misrepresenting the Sikh community.
Additionally, a case was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Mohali residents Gurinder Singh and Jagmohan Singh. Who sought the revocation of the film’s censor certificate issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). They have also requested that the film be reviewed by prominent Sikh personalities before its release.
Legal and Certification Issues
The court hearing, however, saw the plea being disposed of after the CBFC clarified that the film has not yet been cleared for public viewing. Additional Solicitor General of India, Satya Pal Jain, representing the CBFC, informed the court that the film’s certification is still under review and has not been granted. Jain stated, “The certification of the movie is under consideration. It has not been granted as of now. It will be granted as per rules and regulations, as applicable in this case. If anyone has any grievance, the same can be sent to the board.”
Emergency Content and Length
The filmmakers have also submitted explanations and evidence to the CBFC regarding various contentious scenes, including depictions of violence in the Bangladesh war and controversial dialogues attributed to historical figures. They provided factual sources for references on Bangladesh refugees, agreements with France, the USA, and Russia, and archival footage of Operation Blue Star used in the film.
CBFC’s Modification Requests
Meanwhile, the CBFC has provided the makers of Emergency with a list of required modifications. Among the changes requested were the addition of two voiceover disclaimers. Additionally, certain dialogues were altered or muted to address sensitivity. For instance, the dialogue “Iss parivaar ki toh…” was changed to “Tum iss parivaar ke…”, and the word “saala” was muted due to its reference to a public leader’s death. The term “Mr President” was replaced with “Rashtrapati ji” to align with formal address protocols.
Kangana Ranaut starrer Emergency, which runs for 146 minutes, is scheduled for release in cinemas on September 6, 2024.