The first posters of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar generated a lot of interest and curiosity. Now, whether the film lives up to the anticipation will be revealed only after its release. But the trailer, which has been just released, certainly packs a solid punch. 

India’s Emergency lasted from 1975 to 1977. It was declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after a court verdict went against her. According to the terms of the Emergency, many constitutional freedoms were withheld. Indira’s son, Sanjay Gandhi played a big role in it. 

Indu Sarkar throws light on this important period in India’s history through the eyes of the protagonist Indu (Kirti Kulhari). She is a stammering poet and a typical Indian housewife. Some circumstances compel her to rebel against the government and the Emergency. 

From the promos, it is clear that the film takes a bold and fearless stand against Indira and Sanjay Gandhi. Bhandarkar has been a supporter of the current ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), so the stand of the film is obvious. It is also not surprising to see Anupam Kher as he shares the political leanings.

Surprisingly, the PM appears hardly for few seconds in the trailer. But her son, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, gets good footage and he is shown as a villain. The trailer also features his controversial vasectomy drive during the period. Arrests of RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sevak) members and the Jayprakash Narayan movement also finds a mention. 

Kulhari seems to have bagged the role of her lifetime and she appears confident and mature. Her dialogue, “Arjun ke irade hil sakte hain. Ghayal Draupadi ke nahin” is quite powerful. Neil is also promising as Sanjay Gandhi. 

The mixture of all these factors surely garners anticipation for the film. But it is only after watching the film that one would know whether Bhandarkar has added any fictitious elements. Needless to say, the film might face obstacles from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Recently, Pahlaj Nihalani, CBFC chief, asked for an NOC from Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for the film The Accidental Prime Minister, based on the latter. 

Watch the trailer: