Kangana Ranaut agrees to cuts suggested in her film Emergency

Kangana Ranaut agreed to CBFC's cuts for her film "Emergency," resolving certification issues ahead of its release amid controversy over historical accuracy

MUMBAI: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told the Bombay high court (HC) on Monday that actor-producer Kangana Ranaut has agreed to the cuts suggested by them in her movie Emergency. The film, which was initially slated for a September 6 release, has been embroiled in a battle with the censor board for non-issuance of certificate for its release.

Kangana Ranaut stars as PM Indira Gandhi in Emergency

Senior advocate Sharan Jagtiani, who represented Zee Entertainment, informed the bench comprising of justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwala that Manakarnika Films, which was the applicant for the certificate, had a meeting with CBFC where the board had suggested certain cuts. “Kangana, the promoter of Manikarnika Films, informed us through an email that she met CBFC and has agreed with the suggested cuts. She said that the matter is now between her and the censor board,” said Jagtiani.

Ranaut, who has directed and co-produced the film besides playing the lead role of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, had accused the CBFC of stalling certification to delay the release. The biographical drama is caught up in controversy after some Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, accused the film of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.

Appearing on behalf of the CBFC Dr Abhinav Chandrachud told the court that the cuts suggested would not affect the premise of the movie substantially and it would hardly affect even a minute of the movie which has a runtime of 2 hours 26 minutes. “It’s just a word here, a word there...a sentence here, and a sentence there,” said Chandrachud.

The board had earlier received representations from the Sikh community in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana pertaining to alleged misrepresentation of the community. The Madhya Pradesh high court in a matter before it had directed the Board to consider these representations.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the co-producer of the movie, simultaneously had also approached the Bombay high court claiming that they had received an email with the certificate and that a mere ministerial act of the chairman signing on the certificate and releasing it was remaining. However, the board maintained the position that the certificate was never issued, and the email was not the final certificate itself.

In the light of the order by the Madhya Pradesh high court, the Bombay high court observing judicial discipline, directed that the Board shall consider the objections in a time-bound manner. The Board had come out with 18 cuts that were to be made to the movie prior to its release.