Kangana Ranaut's latest directorial venture, Emergency, has finally hit the screens, but unfortunately, it fails to deliver a cohesive emotional experience. The film, which explores the life of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency days (1975-1977), has its moments, but weak writing and an inconsistent narrative hold it back.
The Storyline
The film opens with a childhood scene of Indira Gandhi in Anand Bhavan in 1929. With Jawaharlal Nehru as the brother, Vijayalakshmi Pandit is the sister who controls the family. She confines Kamala Nehru, Indira's mother suffering from tuberculosis, to her quarters and ill-treats Indira. Seeking solace, young Indira learns about the essence of power from her grandfather, Motilal Nehru. This interaction sows the seeds of ambition in her mind.
The story sweeps over the journey of Indira: from the demise of Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri up to when she became Prime Minister. It brings some of the most important events into the picture, including when Bangladesh was freed from West Pakistan: with hails from Mujibur Rahman to "Mother Indira." But before the war, the failed attempts of Indira to gain support from the USA and France.
Performances
Ranaut's portrayal of Indira Gandhi is undoubtedly the film's best feature. She captures Gandhi's mannerisms painstakingly, infusing a great deal of realism into the performance. The cast of supporting artists, including Vishak Nair playing Sanjay Gandhi and Shreyas Talpade playing Atal Bihari Vajpayee, are no less impressive in their performances.
Vishak Nair excels as Sanjay Gandhi, transitioning seamlessly from a spoiled brat to a power-mongering son. Shreyas Talpade, as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, impresses in his role as a politician with ideals and poetic inclinations. Anupam Kher, as Jayaprakash Narayan, delivers a balanced performance. Milind Soman's introduction as Sam Manekshaw is impactful.
Technical Aspects
The technical aspects of the film are superb, from cinematography to editing and art direction. Tetsuo Nagata's cinematography work is great, and minimal graphics use fits well with the period setting. The music is passable, with "Ae Meri Jaan" resonating emotionally in a montage.
Weaknesses
However, the film's writing is its biggest failure. The history and drama that the narrative attempts to blend make it feel like a documentary stitched together with glimpses of Gandhi's life. The complexity and depth that Gandhi's character is supposed to bring are lost because she is reduced to a power-seeking figure who eventually succumbs to guilt.
The film neither glorifies Gandhi enough to please Congress supporters nor offers substantial criticism to appeal to BJP audiences. The climax, focusing on Gandhi's assassination, is rushed and lacks emotional impact. The film's inability to provide a nuanced and balanced portrayal of Gandhi's life and legacy is a major disappointment.
Criticisms and Shortcomings
One of the criticisms of the film is that it doesn't depict the life of Gandhi in a balanced manner. Instead, the film shows more about her personal life and relationships than anything else, excluding her political career and all its achievements. Thus, this kind of imbalance leaves the movie more like a biased expression of Gandhi's life.
Another criticism is that the film does not portray Gandhi in depth and complexity. The film reduces her to a power-seeking figure who later succumbs to guilt, which is an oversimplification of her complex personality and legacy.
Verdict
Despite all its strengths, Emergency feels like a missed opportunity. Ranaut's great performance is the only saving grace of the film, but that is not enough to make the film a must-watch. The weak writing and inconsistent narrative are the major setbacks for the film from being a memorable biopic.
Rating: 2/5
Positives:
Kangana Ranaut's performance
Casting and makeup
Art direction
Cinematography
Negatives:
Weak writing
Contrived second half
Flat climax
Lack of depth and complexity in Gandhi's portrayal
Imbalanced view of Indira Gandhi's life
Emergency is a movie that could have been good if it were only well-written, but its loose narrative doesn't help much in making it stand out. I would recommend watching it if you are a Kangana Ranaut fan.
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