IANS Exclusive: Talking to the Stars of "Emergency"

IANS INDIA

Mumbai: The film "Emergency" is slated to hit theaters on January 17th. Ahead of its release, the star cast, including Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, and Shreyas Talpade, engaged in a special conversation with IANS. During this interaction, they shared their experiences working on the film. Kangana Ranaut also expressed her opinions about the Gandhi family and the movie.  #KanganaRanaut #Kangana #RhaulGandhi #PriyankaGandhi #GandhiFmaily #filmemergency #starcast #IndiraGandhi #nepotism #KanganaRanaut #filmindustry #FilmEmergency #EmergencyRelease #KanganaRanaut #Delhielections #Maharashtraelections #EmergencyRelease #Election #DelhiPolitics

Transcript

00:00For me, I think naturally I would have liked to have a full version.

00:11But with the cuts, there is no issue.

00:15It's not like the film was made to make fun of someone.

00:20It's not like that. It's fine.

00:22They completely removed some episodes of history.

00:27And the fact that it doesn't impact my film in a way,

00:31it is a testimony of that.

00:33It doesn't make a difference.

00:35The story is very much intact.

00:37The message of the film is very much intact.

00:40Because it is patriotic.

00:42So I don't think it has affected the larger narrative.

00:46But if they had shot it, there must have been a reason.

00:50To raise your voice, you don't have to be in that era

00:54to notice that something went wrong.

00:56The whole world knows that.

00:57The fact that this film is made

00:59is because it's a reflection of what happened at that time.

01:02Yes, I was in drama school first year in Delhi at that time.

01:06And due process, I think we should celebrate now the film

01:12which is going to come on 17th of January

01:14and talk about what is going to happen

01:17rather than what could have happened or what happened.

01:20In terms of, I'm talking about the film and film.

01:23I think the most important thing is,

01:25at the end of it,

01:27like Diwali is celebrated,

01:29this is a celebration.

01:31In that, it's a big thing for us

01:34that before 26th January,

01:37there are a lot of difficulties.

01:39Life should never be easy.

01:41I always feel that.

01:42Why is life easy?

01:44Why is anything easy?

01:45Because when you get availability,

01:47three people have got availability.

01:48No one has any background in film.

01:50Everyone has come from their land.

01:52And three are talking about a film

01:55which is going to be made.

01:58Which is a big example of availability in itself.

02:01I think now our entire focus should be on

02:04how to celebrate this film.

02:06How the director of this film,

02:08the producer of this film,

02:10the main actress who is going to work in this film.

02:12She can be an international director, actor,

02:14compared to anybody.

02:16That is what is important.

02:17Rather than talking about what happened.

02:20We have to call people and tell them

02:22to watch our film.

02:23And see, despite so many difficulties,

02:26how brilliant this film is.

02:28And how it is a big part of our history.

02:32And it shouldn't be.

02:34We talk about freedom,

02:36we talk about independence,

02:38we talk about thoughts,

02:39we talk about intolerance.

02:41The worst era of intolerance was 75-77.

02:45But, it's also important to show something like this.

02:48Now we should just talk about the film

02:50which is going to release.

02:57In this story, what needs to be reflected

02:59as a director,

03:00she was very clear about those things.

03:02Our job was, like Anupam sir said,

03:04we are actors.

03:05We technically follow the director's instructions.

03:08We go with one conviction.

03:09So we followed his conviction.

03:12We had read the script of the narrative earlier.

03:15The idea was to justify that role

03:18in a very authentic manner.

03:20Like you said, he is such a towering personality.

03:23He is one of the leaders who is loved

03:26and respected around the globe.

03:28Not only in our country.

03:29So when you are presenting him on screen,

03:32we have to make sure that he was like that.

03:34This era is also of 75,

03:36when Atal ji was younger,

03:38around late 40s.

03:40He was more dynamic.

03:42Of course, he was always a poet.

03:44So all those things,

03:45which were given to us,

03:47how well we could present them,

03:50that was our responsibility.

03:52It's definitely a huge task.

03:54I'm pretty nervous because

03:56of course, every actor wants

03:58that people like his work.

04:00And especially when there is such a character,

04:02not only people like it,

04:03but people say,

04:04yes, you have done justice.

04:06You have done that character well.

04:08So that is what we've intended to do.

04:11And if it goes well,

04:12then I think the entire credit has to go

04:14to one person, Kangana Ranaut.

04:21So the way we have seen him,

04:23whether it's his interviews on TV,

04:26or his speeches,

04:27or his poetry,

04:28the way we have seen him,

04:29that is something that we tried to follow.

04:32That I tried to follow as an actor over there.

04:34Obviously, because it's a film,

04:36there's a limited time span

04:38that you have to present it in.

04:40So even though there are pauses,

04:42it's not that much.

04:44But you know,

04:45which he was famous for.

04:47I mean,

04:48more than after 1992,

04:50our generation has known him.

04:53But before that,

04:55how he was,

04:56how he spoke,

04:57what he must have done,

04:58what he must have done.

04:59So he has done as much as he could justify

05:01from our side.

05:02But you are right,

05:03he has followed the rhythm.

05:05He had a rhythm when he spoke.

05:07He had a tone when he spoke.

05:09He had a slight nasal quality as well.

05:13So we tried to follow that as much as we could.

05:23I actually met Priyanka Gandhi ji in the parliament.

05:26And the first thing I told her,

05:27I said,

05:28you should see Emergency.

05:30She was very gracious.

05:32She said,

05:33you know,

05:34maybe,

05:35I said,

05:36you will quite like it.

05:37So let's see

05:38if they would want to watch the film.

05:40I think it's a very sensitive

05:42and sensible portrayal of one episode

05:45and one personality also.

05:47And I have taken great care

05:49of definitely portraying Mrs. Gandhi

05:52with great dignity.

05:54Because I see,

05:55when I started to do a lot of research,

05:59there was so much focus

06:01and so much material about personal life,

06:04you know,

06:05whether it is a relationship with her husband

06:08or many friends

06:09or, you know,

06:10controversial equations,

06:12relationships.

06:14And I thought to myself,

06:15I said,

06:16you know,

06:17there is so much more to every person.

06:20And I've taken special care,

06:22not even like going into those directions.

06:25Because when it comes to women,

06:27especially,

06:28they're always reduced to,

06:30you know,

06:31their equation with men around them.

06:33And of course,

06:34sensational encounters of whatever,

06:37personal encounters with,

06:38you know,

06:39there are so many material that is,

06:41and in fact,

06:42most of the controversial material

06:43was about all that.

06:45But I have portrayed her

06:47with so much dignity and sensibility.

06:49And I think that everybody should see this film.

06:53Because,

06:54you know,

06:55like she is also a very loved leader also.

06:58I mean,

06:59apart from some very crazy things

07:02that happened during emergency

07:05and other few things,

07:07I think she was very loved and celebrated.

07:10And three-time Prime Minister,

07:12it's not a joke.

07:14So, I think it was...

07:21I mean,

07:22clearly,

07:23clearly she was a product of nepotism.

07:26But,

07:27see, what happens is,

07:29when you meet some people,

07:33you know,

07:34like for example,

07:35in our film industry,

07:36the things that I didn't like,

07:37I don't want to be like those people.

07:39You know,

07:40I can,

07:41even then,

07:42a character,

07:43completely,

07:44with a very sensible take,

07:46being an artist,

07:47it means not to have any colored perception.

07:50I may come from a party,

07:52I may belong to a certain,

07:54you know,

07:55like,

07:56I may come from that nationalistic party,

07:58which the people,

08:00which is the party of the people.

08:03But I can have,

08:05but I can have a very sensitive approach

08:07to somebody who comes from a privileged background.

08:10You know,

08:11like,

08:12she's privileged.

08:13Undoubtedly.

08:14Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter,

08:16three-time Prime Minister,

08:17she got to be the Secretary,

08:20then she got all the best ministries.

08:22What more privilege do you want?

08:24So, yeah,

08:25she's privileged.

08:26But that doesn't mean

08:27I can't have a sensible portrayal of her.

08:35Actually, you know,

08:36this is not a political film.

08:38If you actually see the film,

08:40you will know that it's actually,

08:42it's just a film.

08:44It's a story.

08:46Like a story,

08:47it's a story.

08:48It has nothing to do with politics.

08:51You'll find,

08:52you may find it very

08:53bizarre right now

08:54because you've also seen the film.

08:56Eventually,

08:57it is not about any party.

08:59You will come out

09:00feeling that,

09:02you've just seen the film,

09:03you didn't come out feeling that

09:05who will you vote for.

09:07No, not at all.

09:08You were only enlightened about that episode.

09:11If you see Argo in Hollywood,

09:13you don't come out thinking

09:15who to vote or who not to vote for.

09:17You simply come out being enlightened

09:19by one episode.

09:21Only that chunk of history.

09:23That's it.

09:24I think if people see it like that,

09:25they won't be disappointed.

09:27If they go to think that

09:29they will be able to decide

09:30who to vote and who not to vote for,

09:32then this is not the film for them.

09:40Human interest story?

09:41A human...

09:43Human error story.

09:46Human error story.

09:47It's a human story.

09:49Every film is a human interest story.

09:52It's about a prime minister.

09:55I've seen some portions.

09:59Again, I'll go back to

10:01the portrayal of Indira Gandhi

10:03as an actor.

10:04I'm constantly going back to the cinema

10:06rather than the things behind it.

10:09How many actresses can portray

10:12Indira Gandhi's role?

10:13You've seen the trailer.

10:15Today, I think we posted

10:16how the makeup she achieved.

10:18It's not only putting a nose

10:21that Mrs. Gandhi had.

10:22It's also internalizing

10:24her fear, her insecurities.

10:26I think that's very well done.

10:28The character of

10:30Jayaprakash Narayan ji,

10:32because he did not take up any position

10:34after this whole thing happened,

10:37Loknayak,

10:38so a lot of people do not know

10:40about his contribution to that period.

10:43Atal ji later became the prime minister

10:45and he remained one of the

10:47tall leaders.

10:49But this morning,

10:51someone asked me,

10:53I said,

10:54what did you do in this?

10:55I said, Jayaprakash Narayan.

10:56Who was he?

10:57A young person.

10:59So I think the world should know

11:01what was his contribution

11:03against this emergency.

11:05What all did he go through?

11:07What all did he do?

11:08We haven't forgotten that aspect.

11:10We don't remember.

11:12I think that is what is

11:14very good about it.

11:16The cinematography is fantastic.

11:18Kangana collected the kind of people

11:20who are associated with the film.

11:22Her make-up was done by

11:24Oscar winner.

11:26He's the best in the world right now.

11:28The topmost.

11:30I think people go to watch the film

11:32in the beginning thinking

11:34what has happened.

11:36After watching the film,

11:38there is a unique connection

11:40in the hall with the film.

11:42Then they forget that you may sit down

11:44as a particular party member

11:46to watch the film.

11:48Even as critics, I think people go to see

11:50a film as this thing and then they say,

11:52let's see what is not there and what is there.

11:54It's a film.

11:56As a film goer

11:58or as a film person,

12:00I am very proud of as a film.

12:02I don't think so.

12:04To be very honest,

12:06I don't think there will be

12:08any controversies.

12:10Because the way this film

12:12has been made.

12:14Do you know about the

12:16emergency?

12:18Yes, I know.

12:20Do you think it was good to happen?

12:22No.

12:24That's what the film is about.

12:26That's what the world should get to know.

12:28That even a person who got us to win

12:30the 1971 war,

12:32who created Bangladesh,

12:34who 93,000 Pakistani

12:36soldiers surrendered

12:38under the leadership of a tall

12:40leader like Indira Gandhi, also created

12:42a situation where there was an emergency

12:44imposed.

12:46So the film is also about that.

12:52I was 19 years old

12:54at that time and I had just

12:56gotten into the first year of drama school.

12:58When we were

13:00talking to someone before you,

13:02because you are not

13:04directly impacted by that,

13:06you do not really know what is happening.

13:08I was getting to know at that time

13:10Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and

13:12Kalidas and everything like that.

13:14And there were some references in that too.

13:16But it was that these people were coming

13:18up, George Fernandez,

13:20Adilji,

13:22LK Advaniji, Jayaprakash Narayanji

13:24and what was happening

13:26against that.

13:28There was a period of nasbandi.

13:30People were being

13:32forced to do

13:34nasbandi.

13:36All those things were horrifying.

13:38So it was impacting us.

13:44That's what our job is.

13:46That is what we are supposed to do.

13:48No, but I think I enjoy

13:50performing. I enjoy acting.

13:52And if you do not have these

13:54kind of challenges in your work, then it is

13:56I think a waste.

13:58So I feel very happy

14:00and privileged that

14:02I get an opportunity to portray someone

14:04as huge as Adilji.

14:06And at the same time I get to do a film like

14:08let's say Housefull 5 or Welcome

14:10to the Jungle or Golmaal for that matter.

14:12So it is all thanks to

14:14the audience who have accepted

14:16me as an actor

14:18in these varied roles.

14:20And because of them I keep getting

14:22these opportunities. So I am very, very happy.

14:30Let's not underestimate today's generation.

14:32Today's generation is brilliant.

14:34They may come across

14:36as irreverent.

14:38They don't hold our feet.

14:40They don't treat us well.

14:42But they are honest.

14:44And we have

14:46slotted them.

14:48I think every generation

14:50has its own responsibility.

14:52What I have tried to do is to keep on

14:54reinventing myself.

14:56To keep belonging to the generation that we are

14:58talking about.

15:00So I am today's generation's guy.

15:02Absolutely.

15:04Looking at him, I feel like

15:06he is just starting.

15:08He has just released his first film.

15:10So which is a good thing.

15:12About the generation,

15:14I think

15:16today you see

15:18on social media,

15:20these things were not there before.

15:22So somewhere, Anubhamji is

15:24absolutely right. Today's youth

15:26want to know what was the emergency?

15:28Why did it happen?

15:30There are so many debates.

15:32Whether it is trolling or defencing,

15:34anything can happen.

15:36This is what the generation is doing.

15:38So I think Emergency is a film where

15:40you can see and know.

15:42Because it is a film

15:44that has been hidden from us

15:46for so many years.

15:48There was a film called Kisa Kursi.

15:50It was made on Mrs. Gandhi.

15:52So the director had to commit suicide.

15:54So there was that era and

15:56there is today's era.

15:58So people should see and understand

16:00what was the situation?

16:02Why did it happen? What happened?

16:04What were the consequences after that?

16:06This is a great opportunity.

16:08And I think they will come in large numbers

16:10to understand this.

16:16She keeps sending me.

16:18She sent me to the National Elections.

16:20She will send me to Delhi.

16:22Even when we were not there,

16:24we used to promote the party.

16:26When we have an ideological

16:28union, we don't need

16:30any responsibility of the party.

16:32We always promote them.

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