‘Emergency’ Review: Kangana Ranaut Looks the Part in a Middling, Confusing Film

After quite the wait, Emergency, written and directed by Kangana Ranaut hit theatres on 17 January. The film is an ambitious but superficial biopic on an Indian leader who was both immensely influential and controversial during her combined tenure of over 15 years. 

India’s first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi earned the moniker ‘Iron Lady’ from Henry Kissinger for her personality and manner of governance. During her time as Prime Minister, her supporters would often use the slogan, “India is Indira and Indira is India” – for all intents and purposes, for them, she became synonymous with the country.

The film, that opens with a disclaimer of ‘creative liberty’, opens in Indira’s childhood where she bristles at her aunt Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit’s (quite an illustrious figure in her own might as the first female President of the General Assembly) mistreatment of her mother. From that moment on, the film presents snapshots of Indira Gandhi’s life and her rise to power in what can be described as an extended montage.

Even Gandhi’s rise to power was filled with moments crucial to an understanding of India’s history but they – like the passing of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, and the time that passed between the latter and Gandhi’s succession – pass by in a blur. 

These moments aren’t contextualised enough and that lends to quite a confusing screenplay. And to its credit, the film creates enough curiosity in the topics it wants to explore but this curiosity is rarely satiated. For instance, the film presents that Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru often clash when it comes to matters of politics, especially during the Chinese aggression in 1962. But what could have been a study into two political leaders discussing their ideologies is wrapped up in a handful of scenes, made worse by the one-tone portrayal of Nehru as an insecure leader. 

But there are parts where the film surprises you – the attempt to develop Indira Gandhi’s character as one with shades and nuance is apparent. Emergency touches upon her instrumental role in the creation of Bangladesh [with the brilliant strategist Sam Manekshaw (played by Milind Soman) by her side], her interactions with US President Richard Nixon, and the 21-month long Emergency that is often referred to as one of the darkest periods of Indian history.

And while these explorations capture your attention, there’s jarring tonal shifts that don’t sit right – political leaders (and even Maekshaw) break into song, Indira Gandhi sees ghostly apparitions of herself in the mirror. 

One of the main issues here, however, is that one film simply isn’t long enough to capture the entirety of Gandhi’s essence as a ruler and the effects of her governance on the people of India. Rising unemployment and general voter dissatisfaction (leading to protests like the one led by George Fernandes in 1974) get some play. 

When Gandhi is pushed to a corner or in particularly charged scenes, Ranaut – bearing a striking resemblance to her – leaves an impact. But it’s difficult to appreciate her efforts when there is a permanent quiver on her face that seems more like a nervous tic than anything else. The effort that has gone into recreating Gandhi’s charisma is overshadowed by this one simple, and extremely annoying, acting choice. The ‘iron lady’ is reduced to a nervous wreck and the character arc never comes.

Additionally, when we hear phrases like ‘Gungi gudiya bolne lagi’ without much reference to the things that contributed to her meteoric rise and shift in public sentiment – the Green Revolution, the economy of the 1980s, the nationalisation of banks to name a few – the feeling of the film not being able to say enough continues to bother. 

You can’t help but wonder if the narrative would have benefited from being a series. Perhaps a larger screen time would’ve given the creators more space to flesh out details and iron out flaws and truly give a more holistic view. And without this space, the film’s fascination with hubris and the pitfalls for absolute power don’t have the effect they could have. This hubris is what seems to lead to the decision to declare the emergency or the failure to rein in her son Sanjay Gandhi (played by Visakh Sen). 

The segments of Gandhi grappling with a quickly collapsing legacy and facing the guilt that accompanies the consequences of her hubris are some of the film’s best, even if they’re a bit unsettling. 

While Sen is one of the most impressive performances in the film, his characterisation is so one-dimensional that he comes across as a caricature (of a villain). The hammy background score that belongs in a crime drama doesn’t help. Equally impressive as an actor is Darshan Pandya as Gandhi’s confidant RK Dhawan. It’s such an interesting performance, in fact, that you find yourself drawn to the actor at every opportunity, even when he’s not the focus. Dhawan’s character itself becomes more enticing, heightening your curiosity about his involvement in Indian politics.

Emergency, like many films focusing on the rich and convoluted tapestry that’s Indian history (especially with respect to politics), isn’t devoid of a message. In attempting to not paint Gandhi with the broad strokes that perhaps many expected from the film, Emergency makes an argument for the importance of an Opposition and the need for revolution. 

It makes an argument against equating a leader with the nation since it goes against the very tenets of democracy – ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’. And equally telling is the effect that Gandhi’s image shift – further emboldened by a weaker Opposition – had on the Indian populace after she was unseated from her Lok Sabha following the 1971 elections.

By the time Gandhi’s historic trip to Belcchi where she mounted an elephant to visit the survivors of the caste atrocities committed in 1977 is on the screen, you’re left feeling conflicted. Not about the leader as much as the film.

As villagers chant, “Aadhi roti khaaenge, Indira ko laayenge,” (We’ll eat half a roti but we’ll elect Indira), Ranaut paints a powerful visage of a leader who has replaced hubris with the humility that first got her her laurels.

Despite its flaws, and there are many, the film does manage to achieve one thing – it takes a controversial figure and doesn’t rob her of all her symbolism. Over the past decade, films about political leaders have leaned heavily on the side of propaganda. It’s with this thought in mind that one hopes the film was better made. The film’s second half is arguably better than the first; the screenplay seems to finally find a groove but it’s too little, too late. And the story is still far too vast to accurately capture. 

How does one watch a film about a leader like Indira Gandhi and grapple with constantly snapping threads in the narrative? How does one fill in the gaps of political strategy in a film about a politician? 

Emergency leaves you with more questions than answers. And really, I can’t reiterate this enough, this should’ve been a show. And one with a much finer screenplay and craft.