The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday issued notice to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, the Central Government, the Censor Board on a PIL challenging the telecast of her upcoming Hindi film “Emergency”. The petition states that it contains scenes which violate the fundamental rights of Sikhs. The public interest litigation (PIL) states that “Emergency” contains scenes that violate the fundamental rights of the Sikh community and demanded an unconditional apology from actress and MP Kangana Ranaut, who plays the lead role in the film.
Kangana Ranaut, Lok Sabha MP of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, has played the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film to be released on September 6. On this matter, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf issued notices to the respondents during the preliminary hearing on the PIL filed by two Sikh organizations, which have to be responded to within 24 hours.
Petitioners’ counsel N S Roopra said the court ordered notices to be sent to the respondents through electronic mode and said it may be responded to (with their replies to the issues raised in the petition) by September 3. The court has fixed September 3 as the next date of hearing in the matter. He said Jabalpur Sikh Sangat and Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Indore have filed a petition stating that Sikhs are directly affected by the film and hence they have decided to approach the court to protect their dignity and honour enshrined in the Constitution.
Roopra said the petition seeks a direction to the Central government and the Madhya Pradesh government to ban the screening of the film across the country, particularly in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from this, the petition seeks a direction to Ranaut and other respondents to tender an unconditional apology to the entire nation for making such an “irresponsible” film and to pay exemplary damages to a Sikh charitable organisation/institution.
The lawyer said that the biographical political drama film has been directed and co-produced by the 38-year-old actress. In this regard, notices have been issued to the Center, Madhya Pradesh government, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Manikarnika Films Private Limited, Zee Studios Limited, Zee Studios Chief Business Officer Umesh K Bansal, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook India Online Services Private Limited.
Ranaut on Friday said her film was still stuck with the censor board, despite reports that it had been cleared for release. In a video message posted on X, the actress claimed that she and members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had received threats, and were under pressure not to show the 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards in the film.
