Emergency Film Review: A Historical Roller-Coaster Ride with Kangana Ranaut at the Helm

Rating: 🌟🌟 🙃

Well folks, gather round and hold onto your chai cups, because Review Rani is here to spill some spicy Bollywood tea. Today, we’re diving headfirst into the cinematic maeligan that is ‘Emergency’, a film that takes a stab at recounting the political hullabaloo surrounding the Emergency in 1975.

Just to set the scene, the film is supposed to be an exploration of the life and times of India’s Iron Lady, Indira Gandhi, played with a dash of zeal by Kangana Ranaut. The movie attempts to take us on a whirlwind tour of the tumultuous period starting from 1929 and spanning four decades. From India’s Independence, the Indo-China War in 1962 to the Indo-Pak war of 1971, this movie is like a Bollywood remix track of Indian history, and unfortunately, it’s every bit as chaotic as it sounds.

The narrative, cooked up by Ranaut, Ritesh Shah, and Tanvi Kesari Pasumarthy, seems to be a haphazardly strung together series of historical events. It’s as if someone decided to play ‘connect the dots’ with history, only to realise halfway through that they don’t know how to draw. And just a heads up folks, some scenes are as subtle as a Bollywood item number, with graphic and sensationalised depictions of wartime atrocities.

The story stumbles around like a drunken wedding guest, trying to introduce key characters and events without bothering to give any context. Even the portrayal of the Emergency, the film’s supposed main attraction, seems to have been handled with the delicacy of a sledgehammer. The end result is a film that leaves you with more questions than answers.

But hold your horses, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are a few saving graces – a confrontation between Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon, where Gandhi retorts, "You have weaponry, we have courage," is a standout moment. Also, the war sequence is a visual feast, thanks to the cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata.

The music is a mixed bag, with ‘Singhasan Khaali Karo’ and ‘Ae Meri Jaan’ managing to create a bit of an impact. Kangana Ranaut, true to form, manages to inject some life into the second half, with her portrayal of Indira Gandhi post-Emergency. Anupam Kher as Jaiprakash Narayan and Vishak Nair as a terrifying Sanjay Gandhi deserve a nod too.

In the end, ‘Emergency’ is like a masala dosa without the masala. It’s got the drama, the characters, and an important chapter of Indian history, but it lacks the spice that ties it all together. But hey, if you’re in the mood for a historical roller coaster ride with a side of Bollywood melodrama, this might just be your ticket.

Rani’s Wrap-Up: ‘Emergency’ is like a Bollywood dance sequence – it’s flashy, it’s loud, and it leaves you slightly dizzy. Proceed with caution, folks! 🎬🍿 🙈