Kangana says pressured to cut scenes as censors yet to clear her film

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut on Friday said her film Emergency is still stuck with the censor board contrary to rumours that it has been cleared for release.

Ranaut, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, stars in the role of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in the film that is scheduled for release on September 6.

In a video message posted on X, the actor claimed that she and the members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) have been receiving threats.

She said she is under pressure to not show the assassination of the former prime minster by her security guards.

"There are rumours that our film Emergency has got a censor certificate. It is not true. In fact, our film was cleared earlier but it's certification has been stopped because of several threats," Ranaut said.

"People of the censor board are also getting a lot of threads. There is pressure on us to not show the assassination of Mrs Gandhi, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the Punjab riots. I don't know what we will show then, that there is a blackout in the film? This is unbelievable time for me and I am very sorry for this state of things in this country," she added.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday sent a legal notice to the CBFC seeking to prevent the release of Ranaut's film, claiming it may 'incite communal tensions' and 'spread misinformation'.

It alleged the trailer of the film depicted 'erroneous historical facts that not only misrepresent the Sikh community but also promote hatred and social discord'.

'Such depictions are not only misleading but also deeply offensive and damaging to the social fabric of Punjab and the entire nation. It is apparent that Ranaut has chosen the subject of the Emergency not to make a genuine political or historical statement against Congress, but rather to target the Sikh community,' the notice sent on August 27 claimed.

It claimed the movie portrays the Sikh community in an 'unjust and negative light'.

The notice sought to 'immediately revoke the certification given to the movie and thereby blocking its release'.

'Further, given the potential of this film to incite communal tensions and spread misinformation, I, on behalf of my client hereby call upon CBFC to exercise its authority to prevent its release. A thick line must be drawn between the right to freedom of speech and the propagation of hateful content that threatens the harmony of our society,' advocate Manjeet Singh Chugh said.