Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’ release delayed as Bombay HC denies urgent certification

Mumbai: Kangana Ranaut’s much-anticipated film “Emergency” will miss its scheduled release date of September 6, following a Bombay High Court ruling on Wednesday. The court refused to grant urgent relief to the film’s producers by directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to immediately certify the movie.

The court’s decision comes in the wake of a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which ordered the CBFC to consider objections raised by Sikh organisations before certifying the film. The objections, lodged by groups including the Shiromani Akali Dal, accuse the film of misrepresenting the Sikh community and distorting historical facts.

The division bench of Justices B P Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla stated that had it not been for the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s directive, they would have ordered the CBFC to issue the certificate “today” itself. However, judicial propriety necessitated that they respect the other court’s directive.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the film’s producer, had approached the Bombay High Court, seeking an order to compel the CBFC to issue the certification for the biographical drama. The plea argued that while the CBFC had prepared the certificate, it was hesitating to issue it due to potential law and order concerns following the film’s release.

The court, while sympathising with the petitioner’s argument, emphasised the need to follow due process. “If the movie is delayed by a week or two, it is not going to make any difference,” the judges remarked, stressing that they could not override the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order.

Following the court’s decision, Kangana Ranaut took to social media platform X to express her frustration, stating: “High court has blasted censor for illegally withholding the certificate of #emergency.”

The CBFC, represented by Senior Counsel Abhinav Chandrachud, argued that the certificate had been auto-generated but not officially issued, as it awaited the chairperson’s signature. The bench said such auto-generated emails issuing certificates should be stopped.

The court directed the CBFC to consider the objections from the Sikh groups and to make a decision on the film’s certification by September 18. The case is set for a further hearing on September 19.