Indu Sarkar’: interesting facts about the film

Just a day before its scheduled release date, ‘Indu Sarkar’ received a shot in the arm with the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss a plea that sought a ban on the film for allegedly maligning the image of the Gandhi family. Priya Singh Paul, who claimed to be the biological daughter of late Sanjay Gandhi, had approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the release of the film 'Indu Sarkar', which is based on the 1975-1977 Emergency period. The film, scheduled for release on July 28, 2017, has evoked strong criticism and protest from the Congress.

Priya Singh Paul alleged that the movie, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, is 'full of concocted facts and is totally derogatory' and it maligns the images of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay. The matter was mentioned before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which refused to give a date for hearing the plea. Bhandarkar, however, had said he would include a disclaimer in 'Indu Sarkar', stating that the film is mostly fictional. The censor board has granted a U/A certificate to the film after ordering 12 cuts, which has been complied with.

President of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, Nitin Datar, plans to write to the government asking for protection to all cinemas where ‘Indu Sarkar’ would be screened. He said that the board has decided to ask the government for security cover to those cinemas which choose to screen the film. If they are unable to safeguard the theatres, they intend to ask the government to compensate for damages in the event of unruly elements trying to create problems. Nitin added that they will see what the situation is like after the film is cleared, but the safety of cinemas and audiences is uppermost on their minds.

The COEAI President recalled incidents from the recent past where sections of the crowd became unruly and vandalised cinemas, during the release of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, ‘Dilwale’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and several other films. This is perhaps why the cinema owners don’t want to take any risks. He observed that the film’s director Madhur Bhandarkar has received police protection, but insists that exhibitors are the ultimate sufferers.

Nitin further said that the decision was being taken in view of the aggressiveness of Congress party workers and certain unsocial elements creating a ruckus about the film. He rues that the Congress high command does not seem to have issued a statement about the nature of the protests, but the local leaders of the party are doing it on their own and also issuing threats. The manner in which the Congress party workers have been going on a rampage in several places, especially Pune has Nitin worried. He added that the Congress had effectively tried to stall the release of films like ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ and ‘Gandhi’ in the past, but they were the ruling party at that time. Unlike then, the government should not have a problem providing security cover to all theatres, he concluded.

Madhur Bhandarkar has said that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has suggested 14 cuts in his film 'Indu Sarkar', that is set in the backdrop of the Emergency. He took to his social media account to state his displeasure saying, "Just got out of 'Indu Sarkar' film censor screening. Am appalled at the 14 cuts suggested by the committee. Will go to the Revising Committee."

Priyal Singh Paul, claiming to be Sanjay Gandhi's daughter has alleged that the trailer of 'Indu Sarkar' is "shocking and grossly misleading" in its portrayal of the late Congress leader. She said that she was shocked to see the trailer of the movie. She claimed that she met Sanjay Gandhi once and found him to be a gentle person and that she has only good things about him from people who knew him.

The leader of the opposition party Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and urged him to ensure a preview of the upcoming Hindi film before submitting it to the censor board for approval. However, Madhur Bhandarkar, on the other hand, has refused to screen the movie to anybody before CBFC. Reports claimed that he wanted the decision to be taken by the official body (CBFC).

The Congress party claimed that the film is "unrealistic" and demanded a screening before it's release. Madhur later cleared the air saying the film is a mixture of fiction and reality, keeping the audience in mind. He claimed that the movie is 30 percent real and 70 percent fiction. Not only Madhur but Pahlaj Nihlani also found the demand of Nirupam to show the film for Congress a bit strange.

According to reports, 'Indu Sarkar' may not see the light of day in Indore, as Congress party workers have issued a letter to the Cine Circuit Association and Cine Grah Sanchalan, warning them against screening the film in the city. The letter states that the party workers will not let the film release in theatres. They also threatened to protest against its release by burning the effigies of actor Anupam Kher and director Madhur Bhandarkar. They even threatened to vandalise movie theatres and asserted that the owners and administration will be held responsible.