Kangana Ranaut, who plays the role of Indira Gandhi in her new movie “Emergency”he said he has done extensive research and now believes that the former prime minister was not as powerful as he thought but “weak” and “lacking confidence”.
The first-time Member of Parliament from Mandi, who is often in the headlines for her provocative speeches, also said that there is no leader today who is suitable for her.
“I am proud to say that today there is not a single director in the film industry that I want to work with because they do not have the kind of quality… that I feel I deserve,” Ranaut told PTI. in a video interview before the release of more of the “Emergency” news.
Ranaut, who? directed and produced the film writing about the 21-month Emergency imposed in 1975 by the then prime minister, he said that he sympathized with Indira Gandhi and was seen as very powerful until he started working on the project.
“But when I did my research, I realized that it was quite the opposite. It reinforced my belief that when you are weak, you will want more control. He was a very weak and insecure person and really. vulnerable.
“He had a lot of sticks and was always looking for some kind of validation. And he was very dependent on a lot of people, one of them was Sanjay Gandhi… I didn’t have that kind of sympathy for him before the ‘Emergency’,” he said.
The “Queen” star said she was “not free at all” in the portrayal of Indira Gandhi and the Emergency months.
Ranaut also said he met Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament and raised the issue of the film.
“I met Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi in Parliament and she complimented me on my work and my hair. So I said, ‘You know, I made this film called Emergency and maybe you should see it’. And he was like, ‘Okay, maybe’,” Ranaut said while recounting her brief encounter with the Wayanad MP.
“And I think if they’re a little more accepting of what was there, they’ll enjoy the film,” he added.
The film, Ranaut said, was not made with the intention of hurting people or their feelings so the cuts do not matter.
“Since the film was not made for that purpose, even if it was removed, it does not affect my story.”
“Emergency” will be released on January 17 after months of controversy over its censorship certification and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh community.
It missed its release date of September 6, 2024 as it could not get a clearance certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Ranaut then blamed the CBFC for suspending the certificate. The matter went to the Bombay High Court where Zee Studios finally agreed to comply with the changes suggested by the CBFC review committee.
He did not reveal the amount of the cut by CBFC but said that he would have liked the film to be released the way he did.
According to Ranaut, people tried hard to stop “Emergency” from releasing.
“I was completely devastated. I thought maybe it won’t see the light. Because earlier there was Mrs Gandhi’s film ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’.
“I thought maybe he was jinxed or something you can’t make a movie for him… And I had put some money into it. There were a lot of problems, obviously I was depressed,” he said.
Describing “Emergency” as an “unusual and controversial” film, Ranaut said the audience is used to watching traditional song-and-dance films from Bollywood.
“But when you have something unusual, people don’t feel good about it. ‘How did he make a movie like this?’ This is controversial and speaks to a very important chapter in history.”
The 38-year-old, known for films like “Gangster”, the “Tanu Weds Manu” franchise, “Fashion” and “Panga”, said he believes in “the power of integrity”.
“As my film was heavily scrutinized, I had to present documentary evidence, the source, everything. I had to face many obstacles, challenges, scrutiny and all kinds of pressures.
“They say the truth ends up being loose in everything. We have presented all the evidence. Different communities, (political) parties, historians, ordinary people, anyone who has seen the film said there is nothing to dispute about it,” he said.
He refused to suggest that he was difficult to work with. “No, there is no such thing as I cannot work with anyone. But it’s just that I get deep satisfaction from people who are great people. Someone like Shreyas (Talpade) sir or Anupam (Kher) ji… That’s the kind of person I am and this is the kind of person I’m suited for,” he said about his “Emergency” cast.
“Whoever I want to work with and who is right for me, they are with me, whether it’s the director of photography (Tetsuo Nagata) or my action director (Nick Powell), who also did ‘Gladiator’. My backup singer (David Malinowski) did Gary Oldman’s ‘Darkest Hour’….”
Has acting taken a back seat after becoming an MP last June?
“It’s not really a back seat, but yes, being a member of parliament is a very difficult job. I have been going to Parliament almost every month. There has been a little setback regarding my shooting. I can’t, but I will continue,” he said.
“Emergency” stars Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan, Shreyas Talpade as young Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Mahima Choudhary as Pupul Jayakar and the late Satish Kaushik as – Jagjivan Ram. Produced by Manikarnika Films.
Ranaut is used to playing real-life characters on screen: she portrayed freedom fighter Rani of Jhansi in “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” and late Tamil Nadu film star J Jayalalithaa in “Thalaivii”.