Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut’s solo directorial debut Emergency finally hit theatres on January 17 after multiple delays due to controversies. However, the film, reportedly made on a budget of ₹60 crore, failed to make an impact at the box office, grossing just ₹23.75 crore worldwide, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the political drama starred Kangana as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. While the film received initial praise from some industry insiders, South Indian actor and former Congress MP Divya Spandana, professionally known as Ramya, recently shared her views on its underperformance.
Ramya Criticises Emergency, Cites Poor Execution
Speaking at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, Ramya attributed the film’s failure to weak execution. Drawing a comparison with Kangana’s 2019 historical drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, she argued that content, rather than personal politics, determined a film’s success.
“Emergency was a badly made film. Kangana Ranaut is a very talented actress, and it has nothing to do with her as a person. But that movie was bad, and that is why the audience rejected it,” Ramya said, as reported by Hindustan Times. “Kangana also made Manikarnika, and that was a hit because the content was good and the audience liked it.”
Manikarnika, jointly directed by Kangana and Krish Jagarlamudi, was based on the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi. Made on a ₹101 crore budget, it earned ₹142 crore worldwide. However, Kangana has not seen box office success since her 2019 releases Manikarnika and Judgementall Hai Kya.
Political Background of the Actors
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Beyond films, both Kangana and Ramya have political affiliations. Kangana, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, currently serves as the MP from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Ramya, associated with the Congress, previously held the position of the party’s social media cell in-charge and was also an MP.
Despite Emergency’s box office failure, Kangana remains active in both cinema and politics, with upcoming projects in the pipeline.