Chandigarh, 17 January 2025: Protests across Punjab on Friday disrupted the screening of Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency, with the actor calling the opposition to her film “complete harassment of art and the artist.”
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) criticized the portrayal of Sikh history and events surrounding 1984. “If the film is released in Punjab, it will spark outrage and anger in the Sikh community. The government must act to prevent its release,” the SGPC noted in memorandums submitted to all Punjab deputy commissioners.
SGPC also referenced a legal notice issued in August last year, which accused the filmmakers of misrepresenting Sikh characters and demanded the removal of scenes deemed “anti-Sikh.”
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, speaking to ANI, echoed similar concerns. “Films like Emergency rely on scripted stories with twisted facts. Such content harms the nation’s brotherhood and exploits sensitive issues for entertainment,” said Warring. He cited Udta Punjab as another example of “misleading narratives.”
Protests intensified outside cinemas in Zirakpur’s Dhillon Plaza and Cosmo Plaza, where leaders of farmer groups alleged that Kangana Ranaut had made “vulgar” remarks about farmers during their protests. Demonstrations were also reported in Ludhiana, Bathinda, and Jalandhar.
Responding to the uproar, Kangana’s team called the protests “complete harassment of art and the artist.” In a statement, she expressed her respect for all religions, saying, “After growing up and studying in Chandigarh, I have closely followed and observed Sikh traditions.”
Emergency is a dramatized portrayal of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s tenure during the Emergency, an era marked by controversial political decisions. Critics argue its depiction risks stirring communal tensions in the state.
