Senior journalist and author Coomi Kapoor has made serious accusations against the creators of the upcoming political drama, Emergency, which is directed and stars Kangana Ranaut. Kapoor, known for her book The Emergency: A Personal History, a detailed account of the 1975 Emergency declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, claims that Ranaut and her production company, Manikarnika Films Pvt. Ltd., along with Netflix, have misused her work and distorted historical facts.
In a report by India Today, Kapoor stated that the film presents a misleading narrative while claiming it is based on her book, all without her permission, as stipulated in their contract. She expressed worries over how the film portrays key events and figures from Indian political history, alleging inaccuracies throughout.
Kapoor explained, “Taking my daughter’s advice, who is a lawyer, I added two important clauses. While the filmmakers could be creative, nothing should contradict widely accepted historical facts.” She also mentioned that the contract specified her name and book could not be used for marketing the film without her written consent. At the time, she trusted that the producers would honor this agreement, believing they would not claim the film was based on her book without permission.
She revealed that she has already sent two legal notices to the production team but has yet to receive any response. Additionally, she shared a WhatsApp conversation from August 2023 with Aksht Ranaut, Kangana’s brother and a representative for Manikarnika Films, where she reiterated the need to follow the contract terms. Kapoor emphasized that while it was acceptable to reference her book, describing the film as "based on her book" was not allowed.
As of now, there has been no public comment from Kangana Ranaut or Netflix regarding these allegations.
