By Archana Purohit :
KANGANA Ranaut’s Emergency
promised to be a cinematic deep
dive into one of India's most controversial political periods, but what
emerged instead was a lukewarm
attempt at historical storytelling - peppered with moments of brilliance, but
weighed down by an uneven narrative
and misplaced priorities.
The movie kicks off with a strong,
purposeful start. We’re introduced to a
young Indira Gandhi grappling with
personal loss as her mother fades away,
leaving her alone in a bustling household of power and politics.
FILMREVI EW
These opening moments hint at a compelling character study, one that shows the pain
and rejection shaping the steel in
Indira’s spine. From her assertive act in
Assam, where she showcases political
spark only to face dismissal by her
father and senior leaders, the first half
builds a solid foundation. Here, the audience is given a
glimpse of the ‘making’ of Indira Gandhi - the woman
behind the iron fist.
What worked? Without a doubt, the
supporting cast (or rather the anticipation to watch them do more). The casting was picture perfect bringing an ear
to life - watching Satish Kaushik as
Jagjivan Ram or Shreyes Talpade’s portrayal of a young Atal Behari Vajpayee
has been refreshing. While Milind
Soman as the charismatic Sam
Manekshaw is so captivating that you
wish the camera would linger on him a
little longer. Anupam Kher, is given the
most important character to play, but
no decent screen presence. And
Mahima Chaudhary’s much anticipated
role, as Pupul Jayakar is a blink and you
miss it moment.
But just when you’re hooked, expecting powerful speeches, historical
insight, or dramatic dialogues... BAM!
The cast suddenly breaks into a musical. Yes, you heard that right -amusical.
At this point, you can almost hear
the collective sighs of disappointment
from the audience. It’s as though someone accidentally swapped reels with a
Broadway show. Why, Kangana, why?
Kangana Ranaut herself, who plays
Indira Gandhi, unfortunately misses
the mark. The Indira we’ve read about -
fierce, commanding, sharp - is replaced
by a version that’s timid, unsure, and
oddly subdued. Instead of portraying
her as a powerful political figure navigating the controversial Emergency, the
film bends towards victimising her,
showing her constantly under pressure,
second-guessing herself, and, at times,
just plain twitchy. Kangana’s portrayal
of Indira Gandhi - low on fire, high on
nervous energy - makes you question if
this is the same leader who imposed
one of the most controversial decisions
in Indian history.
The script, too, suffers from the dreaded
‘jumpy syndrome.’
Emergency feels like a
collection of newspaper headlines
stitched together with duct tape. Major
historical moments are rushed
through, and the storytelling lacks
cohesion. Instead of delving deep into
the Emergency as an era-its atrocities,
resistance, and fallout - the movie turns
into a fragmented biopic, skipping
from one incident to another with no
emotional or narrative payoff.
Emergency had the potential, but
falls flat in the second half. It’s a halfbaked effort at recreating history that
neither educates nor entertains fully.
This one would have played better as
an OTT only release - at least we’d have
the option to skip those unnecessary
musical interludes. This ambitious
project misfires and fails to create the
magic onscreen expected of a charismatic personality like Indira Gandhi.
The Hitavada Rating: ✯✯1/2