Cinemas across Punjab cancelled the screening of Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency following protests yesterday (January 17) when the political drama was released across the country. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan said, strong protests were held outside cinemas across Punjab on Friday to block the release of the film. “In response to the SGPC’s demonstrations, cinemas have decided not to screen the film. Following this decision, the protests were called off. We welcome the decision by cinema owners not to screen the film,” he said, adding, “The SGPC will not allow this film to be screened in Punjab under any circumstances. If anyone attempts to show the film, the committee will resume its protests.”
Sikh organisations had been protesting against the film’s release even before January 17. On January 16, the SGPC had demanded that chief minister Bhagwant Mann ban its screening in Punjab.
Earlier in the day, PVR Inox in Amritsar cancelled its shows in the wake of the protests (see picture above).
In a letter to the chief minister, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had said previously that the film was a “calculated attempt to distort history and harm Sikh sentiments” and warned that releasing it could provoke outrage within the Sikh community. It may be recalled that the film’s release was earlier delayed after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought several cuts in the film following concerns raised by Sikh groups over the portrayal of the community.