Emergency is a historical biographical drama film directed and co-produced by Kangana Ranaut, based on a screenplay by Ritesh Shah and story written by Ranaut. It was scheduled for release on 6 September 2024, but it had been postponed as the film failed to clear the censorship requirements of the Central Board of Film Certification. Later, it was cleared by CBFC and was released on 17 January 2025.
Star Cast:
Kangana Ranaut as Indira Gandhi
Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan
Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Ashok Chhabra as Morarji Desai
Mahima Chaudhry as Pupul Jayakar
Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
Vishak Nair as Sanjay Gandhi
Satish Kaushik as Jagjivan Ram
Darshan Pandya as R. K. Dhawan
Sanjay Gurbaxani as Jawaharlal Nehru
Deepansha Dhingra as Maneka Gandhi
Rajesh Khatri as Motilal Nehru
Abhimanyu Vashisht as Rajiv Gandhi
Larry Newyorker as Lieutenant General
Richard Klein as Henry Kissinger
Scott Alexander Young as Richard Nixon
Christophe Guybet as Georges Pompidou
Adhir Bhat as Feroze Gandhi
Kateryna Grabovska as Sonia Gandhi
Eva Chibber as Young Priyanka Gandhi
Samraat as Young Rahul Gandhi
Manveer Choudhary as Doordarshan Reporter
Zeba Hussain as Kamala Nehru
Anoop Puri as Yahya Khan
Sunny Singh as Zail Singh
Cyrille Mansuy as Chef Napoleon
Chandan Raj as B. D. Jatti
Aayush Sharma as Satwant Singh
Manish Mishra as Captain Subhash Saxena
Asit Redij as Inder Kumar Gujral
Balkrishna Mishra as M. F. Husain
Parvez Malik as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Raju Kumar as MP Of Opposition
MOVIE REVIEW: Emergency is a gripping political drama directed by Kangana Ranaut, based on the events from the life of India’s first female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The film draws inspiration from the books ‘Priyadarshini’ by Jaiyanth Vasanth Sinha and ‘The Emergency: A Personal History’ by Coomi Kapoor, offering a nuanced portrayal of one of the darkest phases in Indian political history. The movie commendably covers key episodes from Indira Gandhi’s life, focusing on the events that led to the declaration of the Emergency in 1975.
The screenplay, penned by Ritesh Shah is engaging, maintaining a steady pace with a constant stream of historical events that keep viewers absorbed. The dialogues are realistic and thought-provoking. While the film is immersive and impactful, it does face some narrative challenges. Certain aspects of Indira Gandhi’s life, such as the sudden entry of Sanjay Gandhi and the abrupt inclusion of the Allahabad court case, feel rushed and could have been better developed. At times, the narrative adopts a documentary-like tone, which, while informative, detracts slightly from the cinematic experience. The cinematography and background score effectively complement the film’s tone, heightening the dramatic tension of key moments.
Kangana Ranaut has done a remarkable job in portraying Indira Gandhi, capturing her complex personality with precision. Her facial expressions and body language deeply resonate with the former Prime Minister’s persona, making her performance both powerful and immersive. Not only has she delivered an impactful performance as an actor, but her direction also deserves praise for its ability to balance realism with cinematic intensity. The film successfully showcases the complexity of Indira Gandhi’s decision-making process, particularly emphasizing the controversial influence of her son, Sanjay Gandhi, portrayed by Vishak Nair. His impactful performance highlights his role in the forced sterilization campaigns and slum demolitions that marred the period.
The supporting cast adds immense value to the film. Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivers a standout performance, capturing Vajpayee’s mannerisms with finesse. Anupam Kher, playing Jayaprakash Narayan, impresses with his restrained yet powerful presence. Mahima Chaudhry as Pupul Jayakar is decent, while Darshan Pandya shines as R.K. Dhawan, Indira’s loyal secretary. Milind Soman as Sam and the late Satish Kaushik as Jagjivan Ram also deliver commendable performances.
Overall, Emergency is a well-researched and powerfully executed film that sheds light on a critical period in Indian history. While it may feel overstretched and rushed in certain areas, its direction & strong performances especially by Kangana Ranaut, and the gripping storytelling make it a worthwhile watch.
Emergency Movie Rating:
Direction 3/5
Acting 3.5/5
Editing 2.5/5
Story 3/5
Screenplay 3/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars (Good)
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