Punjab residents will not have the opportunity to watch Kangana Ranaut’s political drama Emergency. While the film opened in cinemas across India on January 17, theatre owners in Punjab have decided against screening it. Notably, the Punjab administration has not imposed an official ban on the film.

SGPC’s Protest Against the Film

The decision by cinema owners aligns with backlash from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which has accused the film of defaming Sikhs. On Thursday, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami penned a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding the film be banned in the state.

In the letter, Dhami alleged that the movie distorts facts surrounding significant events like the attacks on Sikh religious sites, including Sri Harmandar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib, and the 1984 Sikh genocide. He claimed the film serves an “anti-Sikh agenda” and warned that its release could provoke outrage among the Sikh community.

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“If the movie is released on January 17, it would enrage the Sikh world, which is natural,” Dhami’s letter stated. He added, “By hiding facts related to attacks on Sikh holy sites and spreading venom, this movie works under a scheme to defame Sikhs.”

SGPC’s Call To Ban The Film

The SGPC had earlier passed a resolution opposing the film’s screening and submitted it to the Punjab Chief Secretary. Despite this, the state government has taken no steps to restrict the release. Dhami reiterated that the SGPC would strongly protest if the movie were screened.

Directed by and starring Kangana Ranaut, Emergency delves into the controversial 21-month period of Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977. Often described as the darkest chapter in India’s democratic history, the film also features Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan, Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

The refusal to screen the movie in Punjab marks a significant challenge for the film amid allegations and protests.

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