The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has invited the United Kingdom authorities to address the media reports of Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency movie screening screening disruption. This is a movie—and that is, it covers the emergency period imposed by former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of 1975—which has been disrupted to some degree in the UK.
MEA says Emergency movie screening obstruction shall be a penalty
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on the incident said, “We have come to know about this problem with Emergency Screening. Freedom of speech and expression do not apply to a whim and all obstructing the screening should be made to pay a penalty.” He further shared that the Indian High Commission in London is proactively in contact with community members to guarantee their well-being.
The controversy stems from instances in which ‘masked’ people (suspect Khalistai gangs) infiltrate West London theatres disrupting both the audience and production, thereby cutting short screenings. Conservative MP Bob Blackman drew to attention a case at Harrow Vue cinema, in which, 30 minutes after the premiere it was stopped in the middle of its showing because of a threat arrival. These were also reported in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Manchester, so some theatre companies withdrew the film from its projection.
Activity by some British Sikhs (e.g., the Sikh Press Association) has also fuelled the uproar. These communities are protesting the fact that the movie depicts the Sikh community in a distorted manner and that some historical events are missing, which leads to different protests across the globe.
Emergency led to significant difficulties in India even before release, triggered by Sikh groups, for example. Finally, the film obtained the Censor Board’s approval in November 2024 on account of certain edits and disclaimers enforced by the courts. The film officially hit theatres on January 17, 2025.
In addition, the MEA pointed out that it has been looking at freedom of speech, and pleaded with the UK Government to respond immediately to the perpetrators of the violence. “We hope the UK will address these incidents appropriately and uphold the rights of individuals to view the film peacefully,” the ministry noted.
Emergency Movie Trailer
Also, see: Kangana Ranaut invites Priyanka Gandhi to watch her upcoming film Emergency