Actress Kangana Ranaut's solo directorial debut 'Emergency' remains without a release date after facing censorship issues. In an interview with News18, the actor-director expressed disappointment, stating that neither the film industry nor political opposition has supported her film, unlike previous movies that encountered similar challenges.
Kangana remarked, "This has happened before. Films like 'Padmaavat' and 'Udta Punjab' were released smoothly despite threats to chop off someone's nose or neck. The government protected them. But with my film, no one -- especially not the Congress party or the film industry -- has backed me. I feel completely alone. Seeing this narrow-mindedness, what hope can I have from people?"
She added, "The industry is celebrating the fact that my self-financed film didn’t release. I am in the loneliest corner of the world."
Kangana's political drama 'Emergency', where she portrays former prime minister Indira Gandhi, was set for a September 6 release. However, the film's certification was withdrawn the same week following objections from a Sikh group, who felt their community was not portrayed fairly in the film.
Only filmmaker Varun Grover publicly criticized the stalling of the film, calling it "ironical."
Censorship issues with 'Udta Punjab' and 'Padmaavat'
In 2016, 'Udta Punjab', directed by Abhishek Chaubey and starring Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, and Diljit Dosanjh, faced protests from fringe groups who argued it depicted Punjab in a negative light. The film, centered on the state's drug crisis, eventually released.
In 2018, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmaavat', starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor, was delayed after the Shri Rajput Karni Sena alleged historical inaccuracies. Despite threats, including chopping off Deepika’s nose, the film released and became a blockbuster.
