Indi(r)a’s Emergency is a documentary made by Vikramaditya Motwane (of Udaan, Lootera, Trapped and Jubilee fame). As the title suggests, it focuses on circumstances that led to the declaration of the Emergency by Indira Gandhi in 1975 and its shocking effects. The 115-minute-long documentary is not boring. It’s very entertaining and the use of animation gives a superb touch. Anjo John‘s music, meanwhile, enhances the tension. There are no interviews. Instead, Swanand Kirkire’s voiceover explains the situation. The biggest victory is that the storytelling is very simple and easy to understand. Also, the makers unabashedly show the truth and even use a criticizing tone to depict certain events. Moreover, Vikramaditya has subtly and smartly drawn parallels and it induced a lot of laughs. On the flipside, the interest level drops a bit in the end. Nevertheless, Indi(r)a’s Emergency is not to be missed. It is expected to be out soon in cinemas or directly on a streaming platform.
My rating – **** out of 5!