Emergency: Author Threatens To Sue Kangana Ranaut And Netflix For 'Breach Of Contract', Says 'They Presented Rubbish'

Emergency, headlined by Kangana Ranaut , hit the big screens on January 17 after multiple delays. Apart from playing the lead role, the actress also turned director for the film based on the life of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency in 1975. After a lukewarm response at the box office, the movie premiered on Netflix in March. Days after the film's release, author Coomi Kapoor has threatened to take legal action against the team. The author has accused Kangana Ranaut, Netflix and Manikarna Productions of breach of contract and tarnishing her reputation by wrongly stating that the film is based on her book, The Emergency: A Personal History.

Kapoor's 2015 book is based on the 1975-77 Emergency period in India and includes detailed accounts of stakeholders and witnesses. However, she alleges that the film is ‘riddled with historical inaccuracies’ and her book is being blamed for it. Speaking to The Print, the author shared, “This could have easily been avoided if the script writer had even done  a  cursory  reading of the  book in which the accurate data is given.”

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She also noted that when the film was released in theatres, she could not watch it as she was travelling; however, when she caught it on Netflix, she noticed that a disclaimer at the end of the film states that it is ‘based’ on her book. She mentioned that in a 2023 conversation with Kangana Ranaut, she had categorically not to use the word ‘based on’ for her book. At the time, the actress had assured compliance, as per Kapoor. However, speaking to a national publication, she said,  “They ignored everything I wrote and presented rubbish."

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Talking about the inaccuracies, the author shared that her book mentions information and broadcasting minister VC Shukla responsible for banning Kishore Kumar’s songs on All India Radio during the Emergency, but the film has incorrectly blamed Sanjay Gandhi's friend Akbar Ahmed for it. Additionally, she also alleged that the film showed journalist Nikhil Chakravarty being imprisoned, which she did not mention in her book. Citing these examples, Kapoor claimed that the film has ‘tarnished her reputation’.

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Coomi Kapoor stated that she had already issued notices to Manikarnika Productions regarding the discrepancies and disclaimer, but they were ignored, prompting her to take legal action. Kangana Ranaut, her production house and Netflix are yet to react to the allegations.