Emergency
Introduction
Straight up, for folks who are expecting this to be a one-way propoganda, are in for a little surprise. And the surprise is a pleasant one, one of the immediate victories of the film Emergency. One little gripe that I had with the film was its title – Emergency. Because the film was marketed as a political biopic on one of the powerful leaders of our country Mrs Indira Gandhi, the title was enough to create a perception in the minds of the viewers that this could be a systematic way of maligning her image, and invariably forming opinions about her that is subject to consumption based on your individual political ideologies. But the film wasn’t only restricted to the emergency period in the life of Mrs Gandhi that would form a major chunk of the film minus her life outside this event. In the beginning, you are introduced to this fierce young girl who wouldn’t shy away from giving her piece of mind to her aunt. This fleeting scene is enough to setup the personality of a powerful individual who would eventually go on to rule the country, for the good or for the bad while completely being ruthless and unapologetic with her approach. And this by itself was an achievement in a country that still continues to remain largely patriarchal.
Story & Screenplay
Emergency almost immediately falls into the trappings of the biopic genre, particularly with respect to its structure. Some of the early events in the life of Mrs Gandhi are fast forwarded while barely touching upon the significance of the same. An important event like her character being elected as the leader of the country, as a natural successor to her reluctant father was a plot-point that could also have fleshed out into a film of its own, given the character dynamics in play. This quite honestly, is the shortcoming of the genre – something can be overcome by a non-linear narrative to counter the fragmented style of storytelling. Yet, I fully understand while Kangana Ranaut the filmmaker opted for a linear narrative here – political biopics need to be linear to fully understand the political backdrop of the nation, in the wake of some of the decisions that are taken by the individual concerned. So it was a catch-22 kind of a situation, and completely understandable. Yet, some of the episodic moments work well in the film’s favour.
Apart from the main focused event of the emergency, the testament of a true leader was highlighted in her swift actions during the 1971 War that lead to the formation of Bangladesh. Be it dealing with strong personalities within yhe ecosystem like Sam Manekshaw or the then young opposition leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee (with whom she predicted that India needs a strong leader like him in the future), her understated personality rose to the occasion. This was true even while winning the trust of the French President, or resisting the intimidation of the American President during this phase, that did lead to a handful of rousing moments. The only glitch was Kangana the filmmaker trying too hard to impress by attempting to break the grammer of filmmaking – in a scene, you see the leaders of the opposition breaking into a lip-sync song, later joined by Sam Manekshaw and Indira Gandhi herself. This sequence took you away from the reality.
One little blip in the screenplay remained the characterization wherein not all characters are well-shaped in the context with the narrative. Yet, along with the character of Indira Gandhi that definitely was presented with an arc, you also had someone like her firebrand son Sanjay Gandhi, who was literally shown to be a man-child. This character though, was pivotal in creating an ambience of fear that transpired during the emergency phase. This is where Kangana the filmmaker rose to the occasion by presenting a vulnerable and insecure cut-out of the otherwise grand personality, that lead her to commit unforced errors. It was also a reminder on how a person could actually change if being presented with insurmountable power, that just cannot be controlled. The empathetic yet internal journey of Indira Gandhi was almost presented like a Shakespearean tragedy – in a couple of scenes wherein a guilt-ridden Indira looks at her reflection in the mirror, only to scream in fear. Her vulnerabilities did not necessarily vilify her, instead it provided a balanced narrative without entering the territory of a propoganda (and Kangana who is also an MP with the ruling government has won my respect here). The neutral stance made you invest with her character while fully acknowledging the fact that her insecurities did lead to a tyranny of sorts.
The portions post the emergency also develop an arc of realisation for the character, although the writing remained fragmented while skimming through the events leading to her ultimate assassination. Yes, a couple of liberties could be spotted too even as the drama leap-frogged from her arrest to her freedom, to the eventual death of her son, to quickly moving forward to counter terrorism in Punjab, and to her demise – it was a little too quick and patchy for my liking. Yet the transformation that her character was presented with, was dignified, and it commanded of the kind of adulation that was once synonymous with the personality of a woman who stood tall amidst the patriarchy of men, in a country that was later continued to rule by men. The screenplay is flawed but there are definitely moments that engage with you, leading to a film that did refreshingly win me over with its balanced narrative.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are grounded and it follows a familiar beat to how politicians would interact with each other. The music isn’t memorable enough but it works fairly well in the context of the drama. The BGM does provide enough rousing moments while also accounting for the underlying emotions that are prevalent in a handful of scenes. The cinematography and production design are excellent while being successful in depicting the era, as well as conveying the brutality of the scenes. I liked how the mid-shots conveyed a certain arc for Mujeeb-ur-Rahman during the scene he was shot, even while completing a circle with the assassination of Mrs Gandhi, both of which unfolded at their own residences. The parallels conveyed through the shots was definitely there. The editing is definitely patchy and falls in the trappings of a biopic genre to account for a fragmented narrative. Yet, the story within a story paints a slightly different picture – the transition shots are solid wherein you witness a newspaper clipping depicting planes only to cut to real action while ending with a bomb drop that reconnects it to the newspaper cutting. It was pretty solid, in my opinion. Director Kangana Ranaut manages to impress with her directorial chops. Her biggest victory as a filmmaker lies in going that extra mile to maintain a balanced narrative, wherein the common perception was otherwise. The dignity with which she portrays a historical figure is commendable, and she deserves heavily accolades for that. My faith in Kangana is restored while winning me over, all over again!
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. Mahima Chaudhry as Pupul is understated and she manages to leave a mark. The veterans Satish Kaushik as Jagjivan Ram (in probably his swansong) and Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan are first rate while coming across as powerful onscreen personalities. Milind Soman as Sam Manekshaw plays to the galleries and manages to impress. Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee is excellent, particularly as he doesn’t try to impersonate him. Darshan Pandyaa as Dhawan is sincere and earnest with his act wherein he quietly leaves a mark. Vishak Nair as Sanjay Gandhi is absolutely a firebrand here, to the point that will leave you infuriated. He is just excellent to witness here. Kangana Ranaut as Smt. Indira Gandhi weaves her magic all over again in a powerful character, wherein she is sedate in a few scenes while depicting her vulnerability with ease. The scenes involving her staring into her reflection will make you uncomfortable particularly because she humanizes her character while allowing you room to invest in her. She ably uses her body language to convey many emotions that do hit home even as the structure of the film remains wobbly. She is back in form and that is a good sign for cinema!
Conclusion
Emergency is a decent political biopic of an important historical figure, that is laced with a refreshingly balanced narrative thereby making it a pleasant surprise. Yes, it is flawed with its structure but it still accounts for a decent and dignified watch. Available in a theatre near you.