The move to ban the controversial political drama was called "a complete harassment of 'art and the artist'" by Ranaut herself.
Emergency movie written and directed by Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut got its much-awaited release today but faced protests and call for ban from several Sikh groups in Punjab and it was not screened at most cinemas in in the state.
The move of banning the controversial political drama was called "a complete harassment of 'art and the artist'" by Ranaut herself.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and several Sikh organisations held demonstrations outside cinemas and the malls at many places in Punjab against the movie. The SGPC on Thursday also wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release, claiming that the film "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Kangana Ranaut plays the role of former prime minister Indira Gandhi as the film revolves around her life, focusing on 21 months of Emergency from 1975 to 1977.
It also stars Shreyas Talpade as young Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Mahima Choudhary as Pupul Jayakar and the late Satish Kaushik in the role of Jagjivan Ram.
The film missed out on its September 6, 2024 release date as it was unable to obtain the clearance certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh community.
Later, the Central Board of Film Certification told the Bombay High Court that actor-producer Kangana Ranaut, the production houses had agreed to the cuts suggested by the CBFC in the movie.
The film, produced by Zee Studios and Manikarnika Films finally received certification and was released on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
According to PTI, Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, in support of SGPC's call for banning the film said Ranaut is a known critic of "farmers & Sikhs without knowing their contribution towards our country".
"SGPC is our elected representative body and @BhagwantMann should take immediate steps to ban the film that depicts Sikhs in bad light and brings defamation to our state of Punjab and its people," he added.
The SGPC has also submitted memorandums to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the film's producers, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
Ranaut, a BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, reacted to the calls for ban on "Emergency" in a post on X.
"This is complete harassment of art and the artist, from Punjab many cities are reporting that these people are not allowing Emergency to be screened.
"I have utmost respect for all religions and after studying and growing up in Chandigarh, I have closely observed and followed Sikh religion. This is a complete lie and propaganda to tarnish my image and harm my film #Emergency," she said.
The movie, in controversy over its censor certificate and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh community, was released across the country on Friday after several delays.
Most cinemas in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda did not screen the movie. Police force was deployed outside the malls and cinemas in the state.
In Amritsar, protesters including women were seen carrying black flags and placards saying "Emergency should be banned" and "Boycott Emergency movie".
"We spoke with the Central government and the Punjab government to stop the release of the movie but no action was taken...," SGPC's Partap Singh told PTI, adding that they had gathered to stop the release because the film had been made to disturb the peace of Punjab.
"Sikh characters are portrayed objectionably," he added.
"Ranaut is an MP from the BJP, and the responsibility of an MP is significant. He or she should work to bring everyone in society together, but instead, she is creating divisions...," said another SGPC member, Kulwant Singh Manan.
Similar scenes played out in Mohali.
"The film has been made to insult the entire Sikh community. We will not let the movie release in Mohali or anywhere in Punjab. The SGPC is united in this matter," said Rajinder Singh Tohra, a member of the SGPC.
According to PTI, members of a Sikh organisation in Jalandhar said they will not allow this movie to be screened anywhere in Punjab.
In Ludhiana, the movie was set to be screened in four theatres, said, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shivam Aggarwal.
However, after receiving objections from some Sikh organisations, the cinema owners decided not to screen the movie, he said.
In Hoshiarpur, workers of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) visited various cinemas in the district, urging their management not to screen the movie.
The film 'Emergency' is said have been banned in the neighbouring country Bangladesh but the reason is presumably not same as the criticism it is receiving in parts of India. According to reports, the strained relationship between India and Bangladesh over the couple of months regarding reported attacks on Hindu minorities after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government might be a strong reason behind the ban.
Hasina's father Shaikh Mujibur Rahman's role is part of this film as it showcases Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 and how India helped them. The death of Rahman in the hands of the extremists being portrayed in the film comes at a time when several groups in the nation are rejecting Rahman's ideas or the fact that he is called the Father of Bangladesh.