Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' postponed as certification board requests additional cuts

The release of Kangana Ranaut's new film 'Emergency' has been delayed due to a significant controversy regarding its depiction of the Sikh community. The trailer's release sparked outrage in Punjab, and the film has not yet received approval from the Certification Board. Initially set for release on September 6, the date has now been postponed. Sources indicate the film board has requested additional cuts, emphasizing the need to consider the sentiments of all communities. Previously, the Shiromani Akali Dal issued a legal notice to the Board, demanding the film's release be halted, arguing it could 'incite communal tensions' and 'spread misinformation.' The notice, dated August 27, stated that such portrayals are not only misleading but also deeply offensive and harmful to Punjab's social fabric and the nation as a whole. It suggested that Ranaut's choice of the Emergency as a subject was not to make a genuine political or historical statement against Congress but to target the Sikh community. The notice also claimed the movie casts the Sikh community in an 'unjust and negative light.'

Ranaut had previously asserted her readiness to defend the film in court. 'There is pressure on us not to depict the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and the Punjab riots. I don't know what we will show then...' she stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 'This is an unbelievable time for me, and I am very sorry for this state of things in this country,' she added.