Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' set to miss Sept 6 release as Bombay HC refuses to order CBFC for certification

Mumbai: In a big setback to actor-director-producer and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to order the Censor Board to issue certification for her film Emergency.

Ranaut, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, has acted, directed and co-produced Emergency, a biographical political drama film based on Indira Gandhi, a former Prime Minister of India.

The co-producer of the film is Zee Entertainment Enterprises. 

The film is based on the 21-month Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi during 1975-1977.

“We cannot do that. Judicial propriety demands that of us,” said a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla.

The film has courted controversy after Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, objected to its release, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.

The judges felt that it cannot grant any urgent relief at this stage in the wake of the directive issued by the Madhya Pradesh High Court directing the Censor Board to consider objections to the movie before certifying it.

“The Madhya Pradesh High Court has given the CBFC a direction. If we give any relief today then it would be directly in contravention to that order. We will be asking CBFC to breach another HC order if we pass any order today. We cannot do that. Judicial propriety demands that of us,” the bench said.

However, the bench asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider the objections and take a decision on or before September 13.

The next hearing has been fixed for September 18. 

The film was slated to be released on September 6. However, now it appears that there could be a delay. 

The plea claimed that the Censor Board was ready with the certificate but was not issuing it apprehending law and order unrest post the release of the movie.

However, hours after the Bombay High Court observation, Ranaut took to X and wrote: “The Bombay High court has blasted the Censor Board for illegally withholding the certificate of Emergency.”

Senior counsel Abhinav Chandrachud appeared for CBFC.