Kangana Ranaut on Playing Indira Gandhi in Emergency and Balancing Acting With Politics:

June 2024 · 6 minute read

Kangana Ranaut, the Indian actor, filmmaker and member of parliament, is set to release her latest directorial and acting venture “Emergency,” a film that examines one of the most controversial periods in India’s post-independence history.

The Emergency, a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977, saw Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally declare a state of emergency across the country. The Emergency granted the Prime Minister authority to rule by decree, suspending elections and civil liberties.

This period was marked by widespread press censorship, restrictions on civil rights, and the imprisonment of political opponents. The government justified these extreme measures by citing threats to national security and economic instability. The Emergency ended in March 1977 when Indira Gandhi called for fresh elections and was voted out of power, leading to the first non-Congress national government since independence.

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Ranaut, born nearly a decade after these events, explains her motivation for making and starring in the film: “I’m ’86 born, and people of my age, we’ve missed out on that ’70s emotion,” she told Variety. “I tried to understand it, and I tried to read about it, and then I said, ‘Oh, why not? Why don’t I make a film on it?'”

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The actor-director says that she had a keen interest in Indian politics, diplomacy and how the country’s constitution evolved long before she became a politician. What sparked the desire to make a film on the Emergency was a line in a biography of Indira Gandhi by her close friend, the cultural activist Pupul Jayakar, which “deeply affected” Ranaut. “Jiddu Krishnamurti, her guru, friend and guide, he asked her to call an end to it. And she said something very interesting: ‘I feel as if I’m riding this ferocious, cruel beast, which I started to love riding initially, but now I don’t think I can get off of it’,” Ranaut said.

Ranaut says that “Emergency” is not merely a chronological retelling of events, but a deeper exploration of power and its consequences. “Her life was such a Shakespearean tragedy,” she says. “It’s not for us to judge or evaluate. It is what it is. When people see the film they will realize that it is such an honest take on the Emergency, what led to it and what eventually came of it.”

Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984. Her son Rajiv Gandhi who succeeded her as Prime Minister, was assassinated in 1989. The party they represented, the Indian National Congress, has been in opposition since 2014 when the Bharatiya Janata Party, of which Ranaut is a member, came to power.

Despite the sensitive nature of the subject and the fact that the Gandhi family is now in opposition, Ranaut is confident in the film’s reception. She says that a “large team of historians” who had lived through the emergency, including Indira Gandhi’s friends and those who were in opposition, have worked on the film. “Nobody can get offended by this kind of honesty,” Ranaut said.

“Emergency” is Ranaut’s second directorial venture, following “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” (2019). The film sees Ranaut taking on multiple roles as lead actor, writer, director and producer. “It’s just so consuming,” Ranaut says of her multifaceted involvement in the film. “The only time I think I’ve seen that sort of engagement with anything is probably new parents. I’ve never seen that sort of engagement with anything.”

Ranaut is also navigating her role as a member of parliament, representing the Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh. She finds herself stretched thin between her political responsibilities and her film commitments. “Being a parliamentarian is a very demanding job,” Ranaut says. “Especially in my constituency, we’ve had floods, so I am all over the place. I have to go to Himachal and see to it that things are being taken care of.”

The demands of her political career have taken a toll on her film work will continue to span acting and directing. “My film work is suffering,” she said. “My projects are waiting. I’m not able to start my shoots. I’m waiting for more [parliamentary] sessions detail, like winter session, so I can adjust my dates.”

Despite the challenges, Ranaut remains committed to both roles. “I’m very open and whatever needs me more and engages me more as a person, eventually I’ll take that route,” she says. “But right now, it’s just way too much happening in my life.”

Ranaut’s journey in Bollywood has been marked by acclaimed performances in films such as “Gangster” (2006), “Fashion” (2008), and “Tanu Weds Manu” (2011). However, it was “Queen” (2013) that truly catapulted her to stardom and ushered in a new era of women-centric films in Bollywood. She followed this success with powerful performances in films like “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” (2015) and “Thalaivi” (2021).

Looking back on her career, Ranaut acknowledges the significant shift that occurred with the success of “Queen.” “I was an oddball,” she recalls of her early career. “We had to slog a lot. We came in at a time where we were just downright rejected.”

“Emergency” is set to release theatrically on Sept. 6.

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