I asked Priyanka Gandhi to watch ‘Emergency’, she said ‘Okay, maybe’: Kangana Ranaut
The Hindu
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kangana Ranaut, who crossed paths in Parliament, discussed the film ‘Emergency’, set to release in January, 2025
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra complimented Kangana Ranaut on her work and her hair when they crossed paths in Parliament and responded with an “okay, maybe” when the actor and BJP MP asked the Congress leader to watch her new film Emergency.
The much-in-the-news film sees Kangana playing the late Indira Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi’s grandmother. Directed and produced by Kangana, it documents the 21 months of Emergency imposed in 1975 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
“I met Mrs Priyanka Gandhi in Parliament and she complimented me on my work and my hair. So I was like, ‘You know, I made this film Emergency and maybe you should see it’. And she was like, ‘Okay, maybe’. And I think if they have a little bit of acceptance for what has been, they will appreciate the film,” Kangana told PTI in a video interview about her brief interaction with the Wayanad MP.
The film will release on January 17, 2025, after months of controversy over its censor certificate and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh community. Kangana, the BJP’s MP from Mandi, said she took “no liberties at all” in the portrayal of Indira Gandhi and the Emergency months.
The actor, often in the news for her comments, added that she thought Indira Gandhi was a "very powerful person" before she started working on Emergency.
"But when I did my research, I understood it was quite the contrary. It also strengthened my belief that the weaker you are, the more control you would want. She was a very weak person and she was also very unsure of herself and really vulnerable.
"She had many crutches around and she was constantly seeking a kind of validation. She was also hugely dependent on many people, one of them was Sanjay Gandhi... I didn't have that kind of empathy for her before Emergency." Kangana is no stranger to playing real-life characters on screen: she portrayed freedom fighter Rani of Jhansi in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and the late Tamil Nadu chief minister-film star J Jayalalithaa in Thalaivii.
A vacuum cleaner haunted by a ghost is the kind of one-liner which can draw in a festival audience looking for a little light-hearted fun to fill the time slots available between the “heavier” films which require much closer attention. A useful ghost, the debut feature of Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke being screened in the world cinema category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), even appears so in the initial hour. Until, the film becomes something more, with strong undercurrents of Thailand’s contemporary political history.
Kochi News:Watch: Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025 opens across 22 venues
Sustainability is not an add-on, but stamped firmly into the process: every piece is biodegradable, waste-free and unembellished, free from glitter or beads. “Products should be sustainable and biodegradable so that our planet is not harmed,” says Anu Elizabeth Alexander, a student of Sishya, Adyar. At a recent exhibition, the stars she made sold the fastest, followed by the small diamonds. “I would like people to know about the process, how it is created, and that it is sustainable,” says Anu. Infanta Leon from Kotturpuram developed an interest in crochet as a teenager. It was a hobbyhorse that evolved into a steed that would help her embark on a journey of identity-shaping creative engagement. She started making Christmas-themed decor two years ago, spurred by a desire to craft safe, eco-friendly toys for children. “With a toddler at home, and my elder child sensitive to synthetic materials, I wanted to create items that were gentle, durable and tactile,” she explains. Her earliest creations were small amigurumi toys which gradually evolved into ornaments that could adorn Christmas trees with warmth and charm.
Test your knowledge of Stranger Things with our quiz ahead of the final season premiere!
Studio Bones’ new shounen, Gachiakuta, based off Kei Urana's manga, is a blitz of anarchy in animation, turning society’s discarded into a swirl of stylised rebellion
It Was Just an Accident, is screened in the World Cinema category at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala
Krithika Natarajan delivers a classically-rooted carnatic concert at Kedaram's 10th music festival in Chennai.
At Sunaada Lahari, K. Gayatri curated a recital drawn wholly from Suguna Purushothaman’s works, revealing the composer’s melodic and rhythmic imagination.
A.R. Rahman discusses challenges in attracting youth to classical music at the Music Academy's 99th annual conference and concerts.
Discover the joy of pursuing dreams in old age with Gabriel Mascaro’s anti-ageism film, Blue Trail, at IFFK 2025.
Explore Fazil Razak's "Moham," a poignant film addressing toxic relationships and mental health at IFFK 2025.
At Kartik Fine Arts, the Malladi Brothers’ concert stood out for their rare raga choices and classical presentation.
Across a year determined to see how far it could stretch the sanity of its most devoted otakus, these are the anime that actually justified the suffering