Kangana shared, “This was my first solo directorial venture. Before this, I had directed, but I never had this kind of freedom. When I got that freedom for the first time, I was eager to make a beautiful, immaculate film. I wondered why we don’t make such flawless films in Bollywood, the kind that looks perfect in every way, like international films. I dreamt of making a great film, and a good film depends heavily on the casting.”The journey, however, was not without its challenges. As Kangana explained, securing the right talent for the film proved to be a daunting task. “When my script was ready, and it came time to cast, I started getting nervous because we have very few good actors, and these few actors are very busy, especially because of OTT. When we started the film in August 2022, getting dates from these actors was incredibly difficult due to the OTT boom. I started to get really nervous, thinking, ‘I’ve spent a whole year on the script; what will happen if I can’t get the right cast?’ But luckily, everything worked out, and I believe it was divine intervention.”
Further, with a star cast that includes artist Satish Kaushik, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, and Milind Soman, Kangana once again proved she doesn’t really care about Bollywood norms. She revealed that the road to assembling her dream cast was not smooth. She alleged that certain individuals in the industry tried to sabotage her efforts. “But there were many conspiracies against me. The actors I approached were called and told not to work with me. Casting directors and DOP’s refused to work with me. Despite that, the amount of respect, love, and professionalism I received from those who worked with me was overwhelming.”
Kangana Ranaut also shared insights into the extensive effort put into creating the looks for each character. She expressed her pride in the transformations, saying, “A lot of effort went into everyone’s look. Could anyone have imagined Milind Soman in the role of Manekshaw, Shreyas in the role of Atal Bihari, or Mahima as Pupul Jayakar?”
She continued, highlighting the incredible team behind these transformations. “Our national, international DJ Dada transformed the entire look. David came from abroad and worked on the looks, including mine. He’s an Academy Award-winning artist and the best in the world. So, we gathered a national and international team. In fact, our director of photography is from a Hollywood Academy Award-winning film.”
“We faced a lot of problems with the international crew, especially with COVID-19, which was ongoing at the time. When COVID was diagnosed, the whole set would get sealed. Then, we were shooting in Assam, and there were floods there. So, we had to face all kinds of challenges. But, we didn’t compromise on quality,” she added.
As ‘Emergency’ gears up for release, Kangana’s revelations offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes struggles of making a film in an industry as competitive and unpredictable as Bollywood.