Kangana Ranaut, who plays the role of Indira Gandhi in her new film ‘Emergency’, said that she did extensive research on it and now believes that the former Prime Minister was not as powerful as she thought, but ‘weak’ and ‘self-reliant’. Was unsure about.
Sonia, the first-time MP from Mandi, who is often in the news for her inflammatory comments, also said that today no director is worthy of her.
Ranaut said in a video interview given to PTI before the release of the popular film ‘Emergency’, “I am saying with great pride that today there is not a single director in the film industry with whom I would like to work. Because they don’t have that kind of quality… I think they deserve me.”
Ranaut, who has directed and produced the film which depicts the 21-month emergency imposed by the then prime minister in 1975, said she sympathized with Indira Gandhi and had not been working on the project until she started working on it. She considered him very powerful.
“But when I did my research, I realized it was quite the opposite. It reinforced my belief that the more vulnerable you are, the more control you want. She was a very vulnerable person and she I was very uncertain and really weak.
He said, “She had many supports and was constantly looking for some kind of recognition. She was very dependent on many people, one of them was Sanjay Gandhi… Before the ‘Emergency’ I had a strong impression of her. There wasn’t that kind of sympathy for him.”
The ‘Queen’ star said she “didn’t take liberties at all” in her portrayal of Indira Gandhi and the Emergency months. Ranaut also said that she met Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter and fellow MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament and raised the issue of the film.
Recalling her brief conversation with the Congress MP from Wayanad, Ranaut said, “I met Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi in Parliament and she praised my work and my hair. So I said, ‘You know, I did this film Emergency. Made it and maybe you should see it. And he said, ‘Okay, maybe’.”
He added, “And I think if they had even a little bit of acknowledgment of what happened, they would appreciate the film.”
Ranaut said that the film has not been made with the intention of hurting people or their sentiments, so the cuts have no meaning. “Since the film was not made with that intention, even if it is removed, it will not affect my story.”
“Emergency” will release on January 17 after months of controversy over the censor certificate and allegations of misrepresenting the Sikh community. The film was scheduled to release on September 6, 2024, after it failed to get a clearance certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
After this Ranaut accused CBFC of obstructing the certification. The case went to the Bombay High Court, where the production banner Zee Studios finally agreed to follow the changes suggested by the CBFC’s Revision Committee.
She did not disclose the number of cuts directed by the CBFC, but said that she wanted the film to be released the way she made it. According to Ranaut, people tried hard to stop “Emergency” from being released.
“I was completely heartbroken. I thought maybe it would never be released. Because before this a film called ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ had been made on Mrs Gandhi.
She said, “I thought maybe it was bad luck or something that you couldn’t make a film on them. And I had some investment in it. There were a lot of issues with it, so obviously I was disappointed.”
Calling ‘Emergency’ an ‘unusual’ film, Ranaut said the audience is used to watching Bollywood’s traditional song-and-dance films. He added, “But when you have something so unusual, people get a little uneasy about it. ‘How did he make a movie like that?’ “It’s controversial and talks about a very important chapter of history.”
The 38-year-old actress, known for films like ‘Gangster’, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ franchise, ‘Fashion’ and ‘Panga’, said she believes in the ‘power of authenticity’. He said, “Since my film was intensely scrutinized, I had to present documents, sources, proof of everything. I had to face many setbacks, challenges, investigations and all kinds of pressures.”
He said, “They say that truth ultimately prevails over everything. We have presented all the evidence. Various communities, (political) parties, historians, the common man, anyone who has seen the film has said that there is nothing in it. Not offensive.”
He denied that he was difficult to work with. “No, there is no such thing that I can’t work with anyone. But it’s just that I get deep satisfaction from people who are wonderful people. People like Shreyas (Talpade) sir or Anupam (Kher) ji. … That’s the kind of person I am and that’s the kind of people I deserve,” she said of her “Emergency” co-stars.
Ranaut said, “The people I want to work with and the people I want to work with are with me, whether it’s my director of photography (Tetsuo Nagata) or my action director (Nick Powell), who also made ‘Gladiator’. My prosthetic artist (David Malinowski) is the same guy who did Gary Oldman’s ‘Darkest Hour’.”
Has acting held him back since becoming an MP last June?
She said, “Actually it is not a back seat, but yes, being an MP is also a very demanding job. I have been going to Parliament almost every month. There has been a bit of hindrance in terms of my shooting. I am not able to shoot. Yes, but I will start shooting again.”
“Emergency” stars Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan, Shreyas Talpade as young Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. Mahima Chaudhary plays the role of Pupul Jayakar and late Satish Kaushik plays the role of Jagjivan Ram. It is produced by Manikarnika Films.
Ranaut is no stranger to playing real-life characters on screen: She played freedom fighter Rani of Jhansi in “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” and late Tamil Nadu chief minister-turned-film star J Jayalalithaa in “Thalaivi.”