Actor Kangana Ranaut’s latest flick ‘Emergency’, a movie that chronicles the dark days of India’s democracy when former PM Indira Gandhi imposed a nationwide emergency, will not be screened in Punjab, theatre owners decided after it faced staunch protest and threats from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which called for a ban on the movie.
On the eve of the film’s release, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami urged Mann to impose a ban, claiming that the movie was “politically motivated with the intent to defame the Sikh community.” Members of Sikh organisations staged protests outside cinema halls on Friday morning in opposition to the film.
The movie, which was released on Friday, saw Sikh activists stormed into cinema halls in Jalandhar, demanding that managers halt bookings for the film. “Booking for the movie was discontinued at several theatres. A memorandum requesting a halt to the screening was also submitted to the police,” said Harpal Singh, a member of the Sikh Coordination Committee.
