'Emergency' lands in legal trouble: Makers of Kangana Ranaut starrer sued by author for 'historical inaccuracies'

Kangana Ranaut’s much-talked-about film 'Emergency' has once again landed in legal trouble.The historical drama, which stars Ranaut as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is now caught in a legal mess after senior journalist and author Coomi Kapoor filed a lawsuit against the makers.

As reported by PTI, Kapoor has accused Kangana’s production house, Manikarnika Films Private Limited, and streaming platform Netflix of wrongly using her book and name, and of changing historical facts in the film.

‘They breached the contract’
Coomi Kapoor, who wrote 'The Emergency: A Personal History', claims that she had signed a contract with Manikarnika Films and Penguin Random House allowing the adaptation of her book into a feature film. However, she believes that the agreement has been “blatantly breached.” According to the agreement, the filmmakers had the right to creatively adapt the content. But there were two important conditions added by Kapoor herself, on her daughter’s legal advice.

“My daughter is a lawyer, so on her advice, I had included two clauses. While the producers had full artistic freedom to create the film, nothing should be altered that contradicts historical facts that are publicly available,” Kapoor told PTI.

She added, “The contract also stated that the author’s name and book could not be used for promoting or exploiting the film without prior written consent. I was in Goa and had not seen the film at the time, believing that they would honour the contract. But they are still claiming that the film is based on the book.”
Film accused of using her name without permission
The journalist says she was shocked to see that the title of the film – 'Emergency' – was too close to her book’s name. She believes this was done on purpose to gain attention. Kapoor said the original plan was for the film to use only one specific chapter from her book focusing on Indira Gandhi. Instead, the film went much further, she claims, and included “historical inaccuracies”.

“Factually, the Emergency was not removed till after Mrs Indira Gandhi lost the general election in March 1977,” her legal notice stated.

Kapoor also pointed out that the filmmakers did not respond to the legal notices she had sent on 3 April. With no reply from Kangana’s team or Netflix, she moved ahead with a formal lawsuit.
Seeking compensation for ‘damage’
Kapoor says the film has caused her serious reputational and professional harm. She’s now asking for compensation to cover what she calls emotional, financial and legal damage.

As mentioned by PTI, the legal notice read, “If you fail to comply, our client reserves the right to initiate legal proceedings to seek appropriate remedies for this egregious violation of her rights.”

What is the film 'Emergency' about?
Released in cinemas on 17 January 2025, 'Emergency' is a political drama set during one of the most controversial periods in Indian history, the 21-month Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977. Kangana Ranaut not only stars in the lead role as Indira Gandhi but also directs and co-produces the film under her banner Manikarnika Films. The cast includes some well-known names like Anupam Kher Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry, and others.


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