Veteran journalist and author Coomi Kapoor has announced her intention to file a lawsuit against Manikarnika Films Pvt Ltd, a production company owned by actor Kangana Ranaut’s family, and streaming platform Netflix. Kapoor is accusing the entities of contractual violations and damaging her reputation by claiming their film Emergency is “based on” her 2015 book, The Emergency: A Personal History.
Kapoor alleges that the film contains “glaring historical inaccuracies” that not only contradict her work but also mislead viewers and damage her credibility as a scholar and writer. She claims that the inaccuracies presented in the film misrepresent key events from the 1975-77 Emergency period, which she documented in her book.
When contacted by Hindustan Times, both Netflix and Manikarnika Films had not responded by the time of publication.
According to Kapoor, in 2021, Aksht Ranaut, Kangana Ranaut’s brother, approached her for the rights to adapt a chapter of her book focusing on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Kapoor, along with her publisher Penguin, entered into a tripartite agreement with Manikarnika Films, ensuring legal protections for her work. The agreement stipulated that the film’s content must remain historically accurate, aligning with “historical facts in the public domain.” It also prohibited the use of Kapoor’s name or book title in promotional material without her written consent. However, Kapoor claims that she was not consulted during the scriptwriting process and was unaware that her book was being credited as the primary source until after the film’s Netflix release on March 17.
The movie’s disclaimer on Netflix reads: “The film is inspired by the book The Emergency by Coomi Kapoor and Priyadarshani by Jaiyanth Vasant Shinde.” Towards the end, it states: “The film Emergency is based on the books The Emergency by Coomi Kapoor and Priyadarshani by Jaiyanth Vasant Shinde.”
In 2023, Kapoor said she reached out to Ranaut via WhatsApp, requesting that the term “based on” be removed. While Ranaut initially assured Kapoor that the changes would be made, Kapoor claims she was never given access to the film’s script and did not receive a response to her follow-up messages. Kapoor first became aware of the “based on” claim when she watched the Netflix version, after the film had already been released in theatres on January 17.
Kapoor strongly criticized the filmmakers for “ignoring everything I wrote and presenting rubbish.” Among the specific inaccuracies she pointed out was the portrayal of Akbar Ahmed, a friend of Sanjay Gandhi, as the person responsible for banning Kishore Kumar’s songs on All India Radio. Kapoor’s book clearly identifies then-Information and Broadcasting Minister VC Shukla as the individual responsible for the ban, a fact she says Ahmed confronted her about after viewing the film. Other inaccuracies include the false depiction of journalist Nikhil Chakravarty, who was never imprisoned during the Emergency, and a confusing conflation of events surrounding the Emergency’s revocation and the 1977 elections.
After sending legal notices to both Netflix and Manikarnika Films earlier this month requesting the removal of the “based on” credit, Kapoor says she has yet to receive a response, prompting her decision to file a lawsuit. The suit will seek both damages and the removal of all references to her book from the film’s promotional material.
“This isn’t just about legalities,” Kapoor remarked. “It’s about preserving historical truth and the integrity of my life’s work.”
An anonymous industry representative informed Hindustan Times that Netflix is not directly involved in the issue, as it serves solely as the distributor and not the producer of the film. “Any licensing issue is between the production house and the author,” the representative clarified.
As the legal battle unfolds, Kapoor’s lawsuit highlights broader concerns about the ethical responsibility of filmmakers to adhere to historical accuracy and the potential consequences of misrepresentation in media adaptations of factual works.
