‘Indu Sarkar’ Is Fully Sponsored, We Condemn It: Congress Leader

Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Indu Sarkar’, which is based on the Emergency condemned by Congress leaders.

The Congress condemned Madhur Bhandarkar’s upcoming film, Indu Sarkar, which is set against the backdrop of the Emergency.

“This film is fully sponsored. The organisation and the individual who is behind the film is known to us. We totally condemn the false depictions in the film,” said Congress spokesperson Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Bhandarkar refutes that the intention of the film was to appease a political party and said if he wanted to impress the current government, he would have released the film closer to the election. "I don't know, but it wasn’t planned that we are making the film because the NDA is in power or UPA,” he said.

I would’ve released the film before election if that was my intention. There are no elections before 28 July in any state. It (the film) is a very neutral point of view.

Madhur Bhandarkar, Filmmaker

"For me banning any film or book is not done, specially when we talk about freedom of expression. I feel there should not be a ban on anything. Everybody has the right to interpret things in their own way," he said.

The film is based on the Emergency, a 21-month long period from 1975 to 1977, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally had a state of emergency declared across the country.

The movie features actress Kirti Kulhari in the titular role of a poetess, who has a speech problem, while Neil Nitin Mukesh will essay the role of politician, Sanjay Gandhi.

Indu Sakar is scheduled to release on July 28.

At the trailer launch of the film, the acclaimed filmmaker also hopes Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will be lenient to his film,

I hope censor board will be lenient to our film and pass the film. I do know that movies with political backdrop do get in trouble sometimes. I wish the way they were lenient with the trailer, likewise, they pass the film.

Talking about Indu Sarkar, Pankaj Nihalani, the chairperson of CBFC said that he wanted to “congratulate Bhandarkar for blowing the lid off one one of the most shameful chapters of Indian politics”. He also added that the filmmaker would not require an ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the concerned people as “there is no mention of Indira Gandhi or Sanjay Gandhi or anyone else in the trailer”.

You are only presuming the film is about (them) because of the physical resemblance.

Pahlaj Nihalani, CBFC Chief

A few days ago, the CBFC chief had demanded that the filmmakers of The Accidental Prime Minister (based on the book by Sanjaya Baru) get an NOC from the real-life characters portrayed in the film. “The Accidental Prime Minister's, producer Sunil Bohra will have to get an NOC from Manmohan Singhji, Sonia Gandhiji and all the other real-life politicians who are part of the narrative. This rule applies without fail. There are no exceptions,” Nihalani had told The Indian Express.

(With inputs from PTI, FirstPost)