The emergency had to be Kangana RanautThe magnum opus of. It was the first time the actor-director had complete creative control over his film; the topic was relevant and she had strong support. Yet the end result remains less than the sum of its parts. And it’s not the critics who say it, but the public too. Made with an announced budget of ₹60 crore, emergency is struggling to reach ₹15 crore even as the first week draws to a close.
While the film struggles to find a place at the box office, the essential question remains: why Emergency bomb? The answer may not be simple. (Also read: Emergency box office collection, day 5: Kangana Ranaut’s film struggles in first week, but is yet to cross ₹15 million)
What is emergency?
Directed by Kangana herself, the film sees the multi-award-winning actor in the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and chronicles the darkest chapters of her tenure, including the Emergency of 1975. It also highlights stars Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Chaudhry, Milind Soman and the late Satish Kaushik.
Did the delay in discharge harm the emergency room?
Emergency was initially scheduled to release in October 2023. But as the release window approached, it was postponed to June 2024. But after the Lok Sabha elections were announced, the producers again postponed the film to September. On August 30, just a week before the release, Kangana said on social media that the film had been denied a certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification, probably due to external pressure. The CBFC finally cleared the film in October and a new release date – the final one – was announced. An exhibitor says, “The delay has meant that the buzz of the film has died down. People lose interest in something if it is talked about for so long, and yet they don’t see anything. Bigger films like RRR or Jawan can still maintain momentum even after delays, but for small films, it’s hard.”
The political biopic is a difficult genre
Industry insiders believe the film presented a handicap in its genre: the political biopic. Traditionally, films of this genre have not been successful in Hindi cinema despite their proliferation in recent years. Film trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “No one has been able to crack the political biopic genre in India. Films on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee did not work. Even Balasaheb Thackeray’s biopic did well only in Maharashtra. The public has a certain image of a statesman that these films don’t seem to match. Additionally, the content can often be dry, which does not bode well for an entertainment-loving audience.”
Have Kangana’s politics pushed people away?
There is also a theory that many were turned away from the film due to a perception of inherent bias in its storytelling. While the film attempts to portray Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s tenure in an objective manner, many cannot separate Kangana, the actor, from Kangana, the politician. “Kangana is a BJP MP, who has often spoken negatively about the Gandhi family. So, I didn’t think a film made by her on Indira Gandhi would be fair,” says Kashish, a film buff who has not opted for the urgency despite being invested in the story. Atul Mohan adds, “This perception of bias may have hurt the film because people thought it would be negative, and they didn’t come.”