The insurgent Emergency of the mid-1970s was the most repressive of the political repressions with their attendant periods of constitutional uncertainty. The censorship and step upon dissent were hallmarks of this dark chapter.
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Two recent works exploring this unstable time are Vikramaditya Motwane’s documentary “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” and Kangana Ranaut’s feature film “Emergency”. Even if they both want to present this vile chapter, they yield radically different narratives.
Ranaut’s Emergency is very rich in the beauty of the setting with a very experienced star cast. But because of an inconsistent narration, the film fails to convey the message with the same impact.
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Despite the very emotive performances of all included, the narration, mostly disjointed, fails to attach the audience to what had actually happened.
In contrast, Motwane’s Indi(r)a’s Emergency excels with its fast-paced screenplay, such a seamless combinator of archival footage and animation using sorts of Swanand Kirkire’s humorously sharp dialogues.
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This documentary is slowly pulling you into the narrative, while giving sharp, astute contemporary context on both the good and the ugly sides of the situations during the Emergency.
Ultimately, Motwane’s documentary triumphs because it better captures the soul and soberness of this period while squeezing out a few thought-provoking nuggets into contemporary times.
Indi(r)a’s Emergency is equally a compelling retelling of history and social commentary on things happening today.
