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

Kangana Ranaut’s much-anticipated political drama Emergency has been banned from release in Bangladesh, raising eyebrows in both entertainment and diplomatic circles. 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 geopolitical impasse.

A source close to the matter revealed, “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.”

Emergency highlights the Indian Army and Indira Gandhi’s government’s role in the 1971 Bangladesh war of independence 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 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 Indian theatres in just 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.

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

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