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Kangana Ranaut's upcoming film 'Emergency,' which portrays the tumultuous period of India's history under Indira Gandhi's rule, has ignited a storm of controversy in Punjab, with widespread protests and legal actions aimed at preventing its release. The film, which is set to hit theaters on September 6th, has been accused of tarnishing the image of the Sikh community by portraying them as terrorists and separatists, a claim vehemently rejected by the filmmakers.
The controversy first flared up when the film's trailer, released on August 14th, sparked outrage among Sikhs, who felt that it misrepresented their community. The trailer's portrayal of prominent Sikh figures like Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale as terrorists, according to protesters, is historically inaccurate and deeply offensive. This sparked a wave of protests across Punjab, with protesters burning posters of the film and calling for a ban on its release.
Adding fuel to the fire, a legal notice was served by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex religious body of Sikhs, demanding a written apology from the filmmakers for the alleged misrepresentation of facts and history. The SGPC also demanded the immediate removal of the trailer from all public and social media platforms. The SGPC further sent letters to the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification, urging them to intervene and ban the film.
Adding to the mounting pressure on the film, a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking an FIR against the filmmakers for allegedly maligning the Sikh community. The petition, filed by two Mohali residents, Gurinder Singh and Jagmohan Singh, demands that 'objectionable' scenes be deleted from the film. The petitioners also called for the establishment of a High Court-monitored committee, including eminent Sikh personalities, to review the film before its release.
Source: Protests against Kangana film widen for 'maligning Sikhs'