‘Emergency’ not screened in Punjab after SGPC protests, Kangana calls it ‘harassment’

Kangana Ranaut’s movie Emergency was not screened at cinemas in Punjab on Friday following state-wide protests by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Sikh organisations in opposition to the film, with a number of politicians calling for a ban, which the actor termed as “harassment”.

The SGPC, an apex gurdwara physique, and a number of other Sikh organisations held demonstrations in opposition to the film exterior cinemas, multiplexes and malls throughout the state. Ranaut, who has directed, written and produced the political drama, decried the demand for a ban on Emergency and mentioned the movie’s restricted screenings in elements of Punjab is a “full harassment of artwork and the artist”.

The movie, which sees Ranaut taking part in former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, focuses on 21 months of Emergency from 1975-77. Mired in controversy over its censor certificates and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh neighborhood, the movie was launched throughout the nation on Friday after a number of delays.

Most cinemas in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda didn’t display it, with police deployed exterior malls and cinemas within the state. In Amritsar, for example, protesters together with girls have been seen carrying black flags and placards saying ‘Emergency must be banned’ and ‘Boycott Emergency film’.

“We spoke with the Central authorities and the Punjab authorities to cease the discharge of the film however no motion was taken…,” SGPC’s Partap Singh instructed PTI, including that that they had gathered to cease the discharge as a result of the movie had been made to disturb the peace of Punjab. “Sikh characters are portrayed objectionably,” he added.

He additionally referred to SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami’s letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday, demanding a ban on the film. The tragedy is that the AAP authorities of Punjab is intentionally “ignoring” Sikh points, he mentioned. “This isn’t within the curiosity of the state,” he added.