Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’: Journey from Controversies to Box Office Success |

With millions of stories and pages to unfold, Bollywood brings a new tale to the theatres every Friday. Kangana Ranaut’s solo directorial, Emergency, made it to the silver screen this Friday. Like any other film, Emergency had its own journey, but owing to various reasons, it has been embroiled in controversies right from the start.
Chronicling a crucial and divisive chapter in Indian history, the film covers the emergency era of 1975 to 77, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed emergency rule. The project had many curve balls, from political blowback to financial obstacles. Nevertheless, the movie fought it all, and as we speak it is heading towards claiming the throne at the box office. Here’s a brief look at its journey:
From political criticism and claims of prejudice to getting praise for an ‘unbiased portrayal’
The subject of the movie was one of the prominent controversies in itself. The Emergency era, even after decades remains one of the most sensitive chapters in Indian politics. Severy eyebrows were raised with the subject was proposed. Conspiracy theories started cropping up that the movie’s depiction might be skewed leaning towards a particular ideological narrative.
On top of that, people had a prejudice that just because Kangana comes from her school of thought and has always been vocal about her political views, it might harm the authenticity of the movie. There was skepticism around Kangana’s portrayal of Indira Gandhi.

Before the release, Kangana on various occasions clarified, that it is a historical drama and not a biopic yet people argued that her characterization of the PM could influence the public perception.
However, as the movie was released, the audience gave its verdict. Taking to X praised Kangana for her unbiased portrayal of her character and the events that unfolded during the era of Emergency.
“India has witnessed several period dramas recently, most of which were below par, but Emergency is different. It can easily set the benchmark for how a period drama should be approached. Kangana shines as both the director and the actor, proving herself to be one of the best actors in India,” read a post on X.
“A seriously UNBIASED portrayal of #IndiraGandhi 💯✅,” read another.

Fighting production delays, financial struggles, casting challenges
The work on ‘Emergency’ started amid the pandemic time. Owing to the lockdown protocols, the production was halted. Kangana had called international professionals who were stuck in India owing to the pandemic. This led to additional costs. As a producer, Kangana made sure that everyone was paid their due, no matter how much she had to suffer as a consequence of the same. While speaking to ETimes exclusively, the actress joked, “When it comes to production, don’t learn anything from me.”
Further, what many might not know is that even the scripting of the movie took almost a year. “I dedicated an entire year to perfecting the script. I kept worrying—what if we couldn’t get the right cast? But luckily, everything fell into place. I always believe God’s grace is with me. Things worked out well,” Kangana told us.
And then came casting. ‘Emergency’ has some of the most talented stars – Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Chaudhary, late Satish Kaushik and more. All these stars shone on the big screen, but bringing them all together came with its challenge. The actress even confessed when she started casting, she witnessed people plotting against her.
“There were a lot of conspiracies against me. The actors I wanted to cast were called and told not to work with me. Even the DOP (Director of Photography) refused to work with me. It was such a hostile environment. But the people who eventually came on board gave me immense respect, love, and dedication. Working with them was a great experience,” said Kangana.

Having said that, she added “Even with those actors, there are constraints, like their schedules or fees. My film has an ensemble cast with so many talented people, and during the time we started shooting in August 2022, it was incredibly challenging to align everyone’s schedules. It was literally nerve-wracking, and I felt overwhelmed.”
Delay from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
The film’s release was initially planned for 2023, but it was delayed. Later, it got a release date of 2024, and Kangana asserted that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) would rescind its approval following several petitions.
“They didn’t say we are pushing your release for you can come after six months. No, simply the film was banned. I was like, oh will I get the certificate? And they were like for now we can’t give you the certificate. This was the conversation, so I was wondering will I be able to have a release ever for this film,” the actress confessed in an interaction with us.
The movie finally was able to make it to the theatres but with certain cuts. Speaking about the same, Kangana shared, “If you make the final cut that is your final cut, you would not want to change even one shot for anybody. If it is inauthentic or wrong, then of course. But when it is nothing like that things are different. Like, you cannot use the name Bhindarwale which is everywhere. People have put it behind their cars openly. So, yes it hurts”
“But having said that luckily, those things have nothing to do with the main primary story, the primary story is completely attached and it’s beautiful. The film does complete justice to my vision,” she continued.

Even when the movie was released, Kangana reflected on how the delay in the release affected her. “Obviously it is a bit of a setback for us that the film got so delayed and in between there was also some time when the hope was bleak that it would ever see the light of the day but somehow we made it through and there was a lot of scrutiny and a lot of religious groups got involved in it and there were some kind of hiccups also. We had to cut some things not because they were inauthentic but simply because they were sensitive to some people and mostly for political. They could become a soft target for political advantage.”
So all that we have been through and it’s already an achievement and we can come up with this film. And finally, it is here,” she concluded on a positive note.
Calls for ban vs heartfelt confession
Various Sikh organizations throughout India, including those from Punjab, Telangana, New Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, demanded a ban on the film. They claimed it misrepresents their community and distorts historical facts. These groups also contacted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, requesting that the film not be screened.
Despite getting the green signal from the CBFC, the movie screening was canceled in Punjab. Kangana reacted to the same through a social media video where she said, “You have given so much love and respect to our film. We don’t have words to express our gratitude for the love.” She continued, “Lekin mere dil mein abhi bhi kuch dard hai. Punjab. Industry mein aesa kaha jata tha ki Punjab mein meri filmein sabse acha perform karti hai. Aur aaj ek din hai jab Punjab mein meri film ko release tak nahi hone diya jaraha hai (I still have pain in my heart. Punjab. It was said in the industry that my films perform the best in Punjab. And today, my film isn’t even being allowed to release there).”

Box office triumph
The box office numbers today show that the controversies failed to leave an impact on the business of the movie. As we speak, the film is trying its best to strengthen its hold at the box office. Proving the initial predictions of the trade analysts wrong, ‘Emergency’ opened with Rs.2.5 crore (Sacnilk report). After five days of theatrical release, the movie crossed Rs.11 crore mark.
In conclusion….
Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’ is not just a film; it’s a bold exploration of a controversial era that continues to shape India’s political landscape. From political criticism to financial struggles ‘Emergency’ has faced an uphill battle at every turn.