Emergency: Behind the Scenes of an Unreleased Film

In the contemporary Indian society, not only professional historians and politicians but also artists significantly influence the representations of certain historical processes. Through their efforts, past events gain alternative meanings and interpretations. Emergency (1975–1977) – a painful and controversial period in the history of independent India – has been sharing the same fate. The article examines interpretations of the ambiguous events of the 1970s and the response of India’s leading political parties to them focusing on a new film, Emergency (directed by Kangana Ranaut), whose release date has been repeatedly postponed in India since autumn 2023. For the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the legacy of the Emergency remains a powerful tool of social and cultural influence on the Indian society. Rethinking the Emergency in fiction and cinematography has long been under the onslaught of the populist rhetoric of the currently dominant BJP and the opposition parties. Today, the Emergency narrative offers an option for not only describing the past through the new lens, but also for interacting with India’s present and reflecting on the country’s future.

India, Indira Gandhi, crisis of the 1970s, the Emergency, BJP, INC, interpretations