Censor board clears Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’ with mandatory cuts and fact-checking

PTC News Desk: Before controversy halted its release, Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency received conditional clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), with the examining committee granting a ‘UA’ certification subject to specific edits and factual verification.

The film’s certification was granted on the condition that the filmmakers make three significant cuts and provide evidence for contentious historical quotes. Among these quotes are a disparaging remark attributed to U.S. President Richard Nixon about Indian women and another attributed to Winston Churchill regarding Indians “breeding like rabbits.”

A ‘UA’ (Universal Adult) certification means the film is deemed suitable for viewing with parental guidance. The producers initially submitted Emergency for certification on July 8. On August 8, a CBFC regional officer notified Manikarnika Films Pvt Ltd of the committee’s requirements, which included 10 necessary “excisions/insertions/modifications” for the film to receive a ‘UA’ rating.

The requested cuts involved removing or altering certain visuals, including a scene of Pakistani soldiers attacking Bangladeshi refugees—specifically, one depicting a soldier smashing an infant’s head and another showing three women being beheaded. Additionally, the committee required the filmmakers to edit an expletive shouted by a character in response to a leader’s death and to amend a family surname mentioned in the film.

The filmmakers were also asked to provide factual sources for a line attributed to Nixon and Churchill, as well as for all research references and statistical data used in the film, including details on Bangladeshi refugees, court judgments, and permissions for archival footage of ‘Operation Bluestar.’

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Following the CBFC’s August 8 communication, the filmmakers responded on August 14, the day of the film’s trailer release. They agreed to all but one of the requested cuts and submitted the necessary documentation. However, the film’s trailer, which featured a portrayal of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, leader of the Khalistan movement, sparked significant controversy. Sikh organizations raised objections regarding the film’s depiction of Sikhs and sought to halt its release through the courts.

On August 29, the filmmakers received an email indicating that while the film had been granted certification, no certificate was issued. This led them to approach the Bombay High Court. The CBFC’s lawyer informed the court that the examining committee had yet to reconvene to review the filmmakers’ response, delaying the issuance of the certification. The court has directed the CBFC to make a decision by September 18.

On Friday, Kangana Ranaut announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the release of Emergency, originally scheduled for September 6, would be postponed due to the pending CBFC certification. “With a heavy heart, I announce that my directorial Emergency has been postponed. We are still waiting for the certification from the censor board. The new release date will be announced soon. Thanks for your understanding and patience,” Ranaut wrote on X.

Ranaut did not respond to requests for comment. A source close to the production indicated that they would refrain from further comment due to the ongoing court proceedings. The film, written by Ranaut and scripted by Ritesh Shah, features a cast including Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Choudhary, and the late Satish Kaushik, with Ranaut portraying Indira Gandhi.

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