Kangana Ranaut's Emergency might get banned in Telangana as Sikh community leaders raise concerns

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has assured leaders of the Sikh community that the state government will carefully consider banning the release of Kangana Ranaut's upcoming film "Emergency." A PTI report says that this decision will be made after seeking legal advice, as stated by government adviser Mohammad Ali Shabbir.

The assurance came after a delegation from the Telangana Sikh Society, led by former IPS officer Tejdeep Kaur Menon, met with Shabbir at the Secretariat in Hyderabad. The 18-member group expressed their deep concerns about the film, fearing that it portrays the Sikh community in a negative light.

According to Shabbir, the delegation claimed that "Emergency" portrays Sikhs as terrorists and anti-nationals—a depiction they find offensive and damaging to the community’s image. They urged the state government to ban the film's screening in Telangana.

Following the meeting, Shabbir relayed the group's concerns to Chief Minister Reddy, who promised that the government would make a decision on the matter after consulting with legal experts.

Earlier this week, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had issued a legal notice to Ranaut and the film's producers, demanding the removal of the film's trailer, which had been released earlier this month.

SGPC Secretary Partap Singh had voiced strong objections to the film, revealing that the committee had also sent letters to the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to request a ban on Emergency. Singh had also accused Ranaut of hurting Sikh sentiments, claiming that several "anti-Sikh scenes" had come to light since the trailer's release.

The controversy gained further momentum last week when both the GDPC and the Akal Takht called for an immediate ban on the film. They alleged that Emergency attempts to "character assassinate" Sikhs by creating a negative narrative against them. SGPC Chief Harjinder Singh Dhami held a press conference, demanding that an FIR be filed against Ranaut and expressing his strong objections to the film. Dhami had said that this was not the first time Sikh sentiments have been hurt by misrepresentation in films. He also criticised the CBFC as being "biased" and urged for the inclusion of Sikh members on the censor board to ensure fair representation.

Ranaut, who announced the film in 2021, had earlier clarified that although the film is a political drama, it is not a biopic of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Besides playing the lead role, Ranaut is also directing the film. The cast includes prominent actors like Anupam Kher, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry, and Shreyas Talpade, with Talpade portraying Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan. The late Satish Kaushik will be seen as Jagjivan Ram, India's former Deputy Prime Minister.