Kangana Ranaut has spoken explicitly about the issues surrounding Emergency, her debut feature film as a director. In a recent interview, the actress enumerated the numerous "poor choices" she made throughout the film's production, such as deciding to direct it herself and going with a theatrical release rather than streaming it immediately.
The CBFC's months-long refusal to certify the movie left Kangana "scared" over the release postponement. "I thought the choice to release it in theatres was a mistake. On OTT, I believed I could have gotten a better offer. Additionally, my film would not have been analysed at the time, and I would not have had to deal with censorship. "I had no idea what they (the CBFC) would take away and leave us with," she remarked.
The actor-turned-director went on to say that she made a lot of other "poor choices" while making the movie. "I felt that I made the wrong choices on many levels," she added, "starting with wanting to make this picture. Even though we do not have a Congress government, I assumed that I have already discussed the film Kissa Kursi Ka. They burned all the prints of that movie back then, and no one has seen it since. Additionally, no films were produced about Mrs Gandhi. Since she became PM three times, today's generation would be shocked to learn how she got to be that way after viewing Emergency. I overestimated the situation and believed that I could escape by producing a movie about emergency.
Despite her apprehensions, Kangana remains optimistic about the film’s potential to resonate with audiences. The trailer of Emergency has already garnered praise for its gripping portrayal of one of India’s most controversial political periods.
Fans took to social media to applaud Kangana’s honesty, while others lauded her dedication to challenging and unconventional projects. Industry insiders also weighed in, with some praising her for taking risks and others suggesting she could focus on acting rather than helming projects.
Kangana plays Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Emergency, which depicts the Emergency and Operation Bluestar during the last few years of her term. Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Ashok Chhabra, Mahima Chaudhry, Milind Soman, Vishak Nair, and Satish Kaushik also play important parts in the movie. Emergency will finally be released in theatres on January 17 after a protracted wait.
