You were a student at the National School of Drama when the Emergency was imposed in 1975. How did living through that time help you bring authenticity to your role as Jayaprakash Narayan?
I was at NSD when the Emergency was imposed in 1975. I remember the atmosphere very clearly, it was tense, uncertain and there was a constant sense of fear in the air. Having lived through that era, I didn’t have to imagine what people were going through, I had seen it first-hand. That memory gave me an instinctive connect to the character of Jayaprakash Narayan, who stood up against that system.
You’ve said in interviews that Kangana Ranaut did all the homework for everyone on set. How did her preparation and vision as a director help shape your performance?
Honestly, I didn’t have to research much for this role because Kangana had done everything for us. She had a clear vision of what she wanted from each character and provided us with all the material we needed. As an actor, that made my job much easier and allowed me to focus on performance rather than worrying about historical accuracy. She really worked very hard as a director.
Emergency is now reaching homes across the country with its World Television Premiere on Zee Cinema. How excited are you for audiences to experience the film on this platform?
I’m very excited about the World Television Premiere of Emergency on Zee Cinema because television has a huge reach in India. Not everyone is able to go to theatres but with Zee Cinema, families across the country can sit together and watch this important chapter of our history unfold on screen. I think the film will connect with people even more deeply when they watch it in their homes, discuss it with their families and reflect on what that period meant for our democracy. So, I urge all the fans to tune in to Zee Cinema this Friday on 12th September and watch this classic in comfort of your home.
