After multiple delays and setbacks, Emergency, starring Kangana Ranaut, finally released in theatres on January 17, Friday, but it has hit yet another roadblock now. Members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) staged protests outside several theatres across Punjab seeking a ban on the film in the state.
Visuals from Amritsar and Patiala have now surfaced online in which heavy police bandobast can be seen being deployed outside theatres to avoid any untoward incident. The screening of Emergency has also been cancelled in multiple theatres across the state after strong opposition from SGPC.
Baljinder Singh Aulakh SHO, Amritsar, told ANI, “Security has been heightened here after the SGPC’s urge to stop the screening of film Emergency. We also contacted the manager of the cinema hall, and he has said that they have no screening. We are here to maintain the law and order.”
One of the members of SGPC stated that the community was protesting against the film because it showed Sikhs in a negative light. “Our protest today is over the release of Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency. In this film, history of the Sikh religion and the history of 1984 has been presented in a distorted manner.”
He went on to say, “We had protested against this earlier also when its teaser came out, but the government did nothing against it. The Censor Board, instead of stopping it, gave it a green signal and the film got released. The SGPC taking suo moto has decided to protest against the screening of the film.”
“The cinema owners did not put up the movie today. But we will have to see as the day goes by. If it goes on like this, it will be fine, else it will be intensified if the film is released. The Punjab government will be responsible for the disturbance of law and order because we wrote to the CM also, but there was no reply from him,” he added.
Meanwhile, Emergency opened with positive reviews from the masses, and going by the early reviews, the audience is lauding Kangana’s portrayal of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
Emergency, which marks Kangana’s first solo directorial as well, also stars Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman and Vishak Nair in key roles.
