More bans

It’s not all smooth sailing for Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency just yet. The actor’s latest release has again faced a roadblock as its screening has been halted in Patiala, Amritsar, and Bathinda amid fear of protests. Different leaders of Sikh organisations, including The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), have asked for the ban, as they claim the film “tarnishes the image of Sikhs and distorts history.” A tweet by SGPC also stated that it demands a ban on the film in Punjab, which was scheduled to be released yesterday. The film is touted to be controversial due to its subject matter, which revisits the tumultuous period of the 1975 Emergency declared by then-Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.  Local administrations in the three Punjab cities have taken a preemptive stance, suggesting that the film’s narrative might provoke unrest among certain groups. Ranaut called the move “complete harassment of art and the artistes.”