The Films That Shook The Emergency: How Satire Put Sanjay Gandhi Behind Bars

New Delhi: In 1975, India slipped into one of the darkest chapters of its democratic journey. The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, brought with it a ruthless suppression of dissent.

In this turbulent atmosphere, Sanjay Gandhi emerged as a powerful person, his name tied to a trail of allegations – forced sterilisations, direct interference in government functioning and the controversial Maruti project. But amid all the chaos and legal battles, it was a film that finally led to his imprisonment.

‘Kissa Kursi Ka’

Then Member of Parliament Amrit Nahata dared to make a political satire called ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’. It poked fun at the establishment and caricatured Sanjay Gandhi and his coterie.

The film never saw the light of day. Instead, the negatives were seized and burned, allegedly on Sanjay Gandhi's orders. The Shah Commission, formed post-Emergency to investigate abuses of power, found him guilty.

A court convicted him. Jail followed. The sentence was eventually overturned, but the damage had been done. Satire had cracked the shield of political impunity.

The film had powerful symbolism. Actor Shabana Azmi played the silent and suffering public. Utpal Dutt embodied the manipulative godman. Manohar Singh portrayed a politician intoxicated with power. More than a movie, ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ was a cinematic rebellion.

‘Nasbandi’

Two years later, another filmmaker took the risk. In 1978, I.S. Johar released ‘Nasbandi’, a spoof on Sanjay Gandhi’s controversial sterilisation drive. It featured lookalikes of major Bollywood stars.

The songs were razor-sharp in their criticism. One of them, sung by legendry Kishore Kumar, questioned the very soul of democracy: “Gandhi tere desh mein, ye kaisa atyachar.”

The song disappeared from All India Radio. Kumar had earlier refused to perform at a Congress rally. That one act of defiance had cost him dearly.

Another song from the movie, sung by Manna Dey and Mahendra Kapoor, asked, “Kya mil gaya sarkar Emergency laga ke?”

These tracks echoed the voice of a stifled nation.

‘Sholay’

Even India’s most iconic film was not spared. In its original version, ‘Sholay’ ended with Thakur killing Gabbar Singh using boots spiked with nails. Censors rejected the ending. The board did not want to glorify vigilante justice.

Director Ramesh Sippy fought to retain the original climax. He lost. The scene was reshot. Sanjeev Kumar returned from the Soviet Union just for that. Even Ram Lal’s scene – where he hammers nails into the boots – was removed. The censors thought his eyes reflected rebellion.

‘Sholay’ was released on August 15, 1975. What hit theatres was not the film Sippy had envisioned.

‘Aandhi’

Gulzar’s ‘Aandhi’ stirred further controversy. The story resembled the life of Indira Gandhi. Audiences drew parallels. The government responded with a ban. The Emergency had no tolerance for metaphors.

Dev Anand's Political Detour

Some from the Bollywood took it beyond the screen. Dev Anand did not stop at protest. He founded his own political outfit – National Party of India. A massive rally at Shivaji Park followed.

In his autobiography, he wrote of feeling hounded by those close to Sanjay Gandhi. His act of defiance came with risk. But he never backed down.

Cinema in Chains

The Emergency redefined how India looked at cinema. Films were no longer entertainment alone. They became vessels of protest and tools of resistance. Satire turned into a weapon.

Despite all the accusations against him, Sanjay Gandhi went to jail because of a reel. That singular fact underlined the power of storytelling.

Decades later, those films still speak. ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’, ‘Nasbandi’, ‘Aandhi’ and ‘Sholay’ – each of them captured a moment of resistance. They remind India of a time when humour frightened the powerful, a lyric became a threat and a scene could be a revolution.

Cinema bled in those years. But it also fought back. And won.