Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency banned in Bangladesh amid strained ties: Sources

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut’s much-anticipated political drama, Emergency, has been banned from release in Bangladesh amid strained ties between both countries, sources told India Today TV.

The film, which delves into the turbulent period of the Emergency declared in India in 1975 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has found itself at the centre of a diplomatic impasse. “The decision to halt the screening of Emergency in Bangladesh is tied to the current strained relations between India and Bangladesh. The ban is less about the content of the film and more about the ongoing political dynamics between the two nations,” a source said.

Emergency highlights the Indian Army and Indira Gandhi’s government’s role in the 1971 Liberation War and the support given to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called the Father of Bangladesh and who used to address Indira Gandhi as Goddess Durga.

The film also showcases the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, also the father of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the hands of Bangladeshi extremists — factors which are believed to have led to the ban of the film in Bangladesh.

Emergency, set to hit theatres across India in three days, has been surrounded by intense buzz for its bold depiction of the pivotal moment in Indian history. However, the ban of the film in Bangladesh highlights a growing trend where cultural exchanges are increasingly influenced by the political climate.

Ties between India and Bangladesh deteriorated last year following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster during massive anti-government protests and the following attacks on Hindus in the Muslim-majority country. Dhaka is also seeking Hasina’s extradition from India, where she fled after her ouster in August, and New Delhi has extended her visa despite pressure from Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.

The development arrives at a time when the screening of Indian films in Bangladesh has seen significant disruptions, largely attributed to fluctuating ties.

Emergency is not the first film to face a ban in Bangladesh. Films like Pushpa 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 have also been prohibited from release in the neighbouring country.