Kangana Ranaut produced and directed the movie ‘Emergency’ which has quite expectedly generated controversy before its release. Creating controversies around the movies ahead of their release is nothing new. It is a routine as it generates a lot of media interest and leads to possible extra box office sales.
The ‘Emergency’ name in itself draws a lot of interest in India since it was an unprecedented event in Indian history that led to the suspension of democracy and imposition of dictatorship in the country for the first and hopefully, the last time.
Added to it is the fact that the movie has been produced and directed by actress turned Member of Parliament Ms Kangana Ranaut.
She is also playing the lead role of Ms Indira Gandhi in the movie. Ms Ranaut is known for her strong opinions, which she does not hesitate to express even at the cost of annoying her party.
As of now, the actress-turned-MP does not bother to be “politically correct” and ends up saying things, which may seem correct but are politically unpalatable leading to controversies.
All these factors combined have generated extra interest in her movie. Plus, the trailers of the movie have led to protests by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and some other Sikh organisations.
While the actual picture will be clear only after the release of the full movie, the trailers have shown Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale speaking apparently to some Congress leader, who reportedly tells him that they (the Congress party) need votes while he needs Khalistan.
Interestingly it should be the Congress, which should have objections. But the party, so far, has maintained a silence about the movie.
Ms Ranaut, due to her opinions and statements has run into trouble with a section of the Sikh community on many occasions. She was allegedly slapped at Chandigarh airport by a lady CISF personnel for her alleged comments regarding the women protestors during the anti-farm law agitation. Ms Ranaut had been quoted as having allegedly said that the women at the protest site were paid on a daily wage basis.
Against such a backdrop, it is natural that her movie will be followed with extra interest and dealt with extra scrutiny by the Sikh community.
The protest over the trailers was natural. First, the majority of the Sikhs do not agree with how Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale has been projected in the movie. He is held and respected as a great leader of the community. He did hold extremist views and also favoured armed resistance against the government with reports of targeted killings also attributed to him, but there is no recorded evidence that he demanded the establishment of a separate Khalistan.
Second, inserting Bhindrawale’s character in the ‘Emergency’ plot is historically incorrect. Emergency was imposed in June 1975. Bhindrwale came on the political forefront much later, in 1978 after the Sikh-Nirankari clashes.
From the trailers of the movie, it appears that the Sikh community’s strong resistance against the emergency imposed by Ms Indira Gandhi has either been shown as a demand for Khalistan or has been mixed up.
The fact is that there was nationwide resistance against the imposition of emergency. Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular have always been part of any/all national movements, beginning from the freedom struggle. When the country rose against the imposition of emergency, the Sikhs again took the lead. Tens of thousands of Sikhs under the leadership of Akalis courted arrest and filled the jails.
In fact, Gandhi’s hostility towards the Akalis (not against the Sikhs) started from that time only as the Akalis were among the most aggressive opponents of the emergency. Maybe the clear picture will emerge in the full movie only, but the trailers suggest that the protests against the emergency in Punjab, which were part of the nationwide protests, have been wrongly mixed up with the militancy era in Punjab.
This is not only historically incorrect but a complete distortion.
‘Cinema’ continues to be one of the most powerful media, even after the dominance of social media. In fact the movie will be played and broadcast on various social media platforms also. There must be no historical distortions in the movie, which can be taken as true by those who do not know the real history.
Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular, have a record of being part of every movement that takes place in the country. While their role and contribution to the freedom struggle remains unparalleled, they have also been part of every movement in post-independent India as well.
Resistance against the central farm laws was not new. The Punjabi/Sikh students also launched a strong movement against the implementation of the Mandal Commission in the country.
This was even though Punjab was passing through the dark era of militancy.
Punjabis, the Sikh peasantry in particular, even joined the violent Naxalite movement, which started in West Bengal in support of the rights of farmers.
The makers of the movie ‘Emergency’ will not only need to study and present the history accurately, they must also ensure that they understand the nature, culture and the ethos of fighting spirit of Punjabis and not stereotype them.
Emergency was an indefensible act by Indira Gandhi. While Ms Ranaut is welcome to “dramatise” it, she must be careful against any “distortions”. As an artist, she is entitled to “dramatise” the true historical events, at the same time, no ‘art’ can be a licence for “distorting” history.
There is a clear line between “dramatising” a historical event and “distorting” it, which every artist must respect. And so must Ms Ranaut.
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