Anupam Kher on Emergency: We should treat this film above all the controversies

Veteran actor Anupam Kher is quite excited about his upcoming film Emergency.

Ahead of the Kangana Ranaut directorial’s release, Anupam spoke about the film and shared how it is ‘above all the controversies.’ The actor even praised Kangana for being one of the ‘finest directors’ that he has worked with. In an interview with ANI, Anupam discussed working in the upcoming film, which delves into the Emergency imposed by former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for 21 months from 1975 to 1977 and its aftermath.

The 69-year-old actor revealed that he was a student at the National School of Drama when the Emergency was imposed in 1975. Speaking about preparing for his role, he shared his thoughts on whether he conducted any specific research before portraying it.

“I did not have to research much about my role because Kangana did all the homework for everyone. I think now is the time when people should start talking about this film’s cinematic brilliance. Every film that the filmmaker makes, he does a lot of research and I believe this could be one of the finest films made on any political subject cinematically. We should treat this film above all the controversies,” Anupam said.

Adding, Anupam expressed his joy of working with one of the ‘finest directors’, Kangana. While praising her hard work, he said, “We should now watch the film and see how a girl (Kangana) worked so effortlessly. If we see Kangana as Indira Gandhi on the big screen, we might think ‘Oh, it’s easy that she did it.’ But, it’s not actually. Starting from her internal approach to the external one, directing and acting, I think she is one of the finest directors that I have worked with.”

Kangana, who was touched by Anupam’s words, shared how she would not have made the film if he had not agreed to it. “He is my film’s real hero and if he had not agreed to be a part of the film then I would not have made it. To have his personality on screen and the honesty on his face, one would think that if not him then who could possibly play the role of Jayprakash Narayan,” she added.

The film, set during the 1970s when the Emergency was declared, promises to offer a gripping exploration of one of the most pivotal and most spoken about chapters in Indian democracy. Other than Kangana and Anupam, Emergency features a powerful ensemble cast, including, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik. It will release in theatres on January 17.