Kangana Ranaut's Indira Gandhi biopic Emergency's release postponed from September 6

Emergency, directed by and starring Kangana Ranaut, was supposed to be released in theatres on September 6. But the CBFC is yet to certify it.

Kangana Ranaut’s first directorial Emergency, in which she plays the role of ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, faced a roadblock. The film that was supposed to be released in theatres on September 6 has now been postponed. (Also Read: Kangana Ranaut says Emergency is not yet cleared by Censor Board: ‘Sorry for the state of things in this country’)

Kangana Ranaut in a still from Emergency.

Emergency release postponed

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) that the film’s release has been postponed. He wrote, “#BreakingNews...#Emergency postponed... Won't release on 6 Sept 2024. #ZeeStudios #KanganaRanaut.” At the time of writing, Kangana is yet to share a statement on the film’s release being postponed, so is the production house, Zee Studios. Kangana’s production house, Manikarnika Films, also hasn’t written a statement.

On August 30, Kangana released a video on her social media handles claiming that her film is yet to be certified by the CBFC. She said, “Kayi tarah ki afwahein ud rahi hain ki humari film Emergnecy ko censor certificate mil gaya hai. It is not true. In fact, humari film clear ho gayi thi lekin uski certification rok li gayi hai kyuki bohot zyada dhamkiya aa rhi hain jaan se maaar dene ki censor waalo ko (There have been rumors circulating that my film Emergency has been certified by the Censor Board. This is not true. While our film did receive clearance from the CBFC, the certification was delayed due to numerous death threats against members of censor board).”

Emergency also features Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik in pivotal roles.

What happened

According to Indian Express, the controversy began when Emergency’s trailer was released a few days ago. A legal notice was sent to the CBFC from the Delhi unit of Shiromani Akali Dal requesting the film’s release to be halted due to the portrayal of Sikhs. Sikh organisations also reacted to the film’s trailer strongly, state reports.