The much-postponed, rife-with-controversies biopic on Indira Gandhi, starring Kangana Ranaut in the titular role, finally hit the big screens on January 17, 2025. As opposed to the hype and buildup of this film, its initial reviews and box office numbers tell a different story.

The movie is based on the life of Indira Gandhi and key historical events that unfolded under leadership as the former Prime Minister of India. Here’s how the audience reacted to Emergency and its performance at the box office.

Credit: Manikarnika Films, Zee Studios

Directed, co-produced and headlined by Kangana herself, Emergency failedtotal domestic net earnings to INR 11.39 crore.

Given the movie’s reported budget of INR 60 crore, its scanty collections of just INR 11 crore in four days hints that Emergency will meet the same fate as Kangana’s recent releases that failed to reach even the break-even point.

With several major Bollywood theatrical releases lined up in the next few days, including Akshay Kumar and Veer Pahariya’s Sky Force, the chances of Emergency’s resurgence appear slim.

The failure of yet another biopic of the grim reminder that Bollywood has had its fair share of biographical dramas that failed to leave an impact. Bollywood’s biopics, especially on famous political personalities, is a critical subgenre that is not easy to ace.

Even a biopic on a controversial Bollywood star like Sanjay Dutt received mixed reviews as Rajkumar Hirani got accused of whitewashing Dutt’s character, influencing the audience to form an empathetic perspective on the star. This is one of the reasons why biopics in Bollywood fail to land with the audience. Here are some examples of failed biopics in Bollywood:

Credit: Rudra Productions (UK), Bohra Bros., Pen India Limited

One of the prime examples of how not to make a biopic is Omung Kumar’s PM Narendra Modi. It would be more accurate to call this film hagiography of the current PM rather than a biography. If you still need context, this film actually states that the only reason Narendra Modidoes not walk on water is because he chose otherwise.

Credit: Zee Studios, Vibri Motion Pictures, Karma Media And Entertainment, Gothic Entertainment, Sprint Films

Anupam Kher headlined this biography made on the late former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmonhan Singh. Kher’s uneven performance and his struggle to stay in character was one of the reasons why this biopic tanked at the box office. Some of the reviews also accused the makers of creating a propaganda film rather than a biopic.

Credit: Dharmatic Entertainment

Not everything was wrong with Thalaivii. Arvind Swami’s portrayal of MGR was one of the few good things about this biopic. Before Emergency, Kangana tried her luck in biopics with Thalaivii, a movie that told the story of Tamil Nadu’s ex-CM J Jayalalithaa who was also a prolific actress. Even Kangana’s acting chops could not save this movie.

Credit: Dharmatic Entertainment

We applaud the choice of subject for Ae Watan Mere Watan. But according to several reviews, Sara Ali Khan may not have been the right choice to play the lead. Her uneven performance and struggle to deliver dialogues with conviction became roadblocks that this film couldn’t overcome.

Credit: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Raut'ers Entertainment, Carnival Motion Pictures

The biopic on the late head honcho of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray, was subjected to mixed reviews too. Nawazuddin Siddiqui breathed life into the character of the Maharashtra leader. There was a lot of potential here but the movie simply failed to attract an audience in theaters.

Social and lead images credits: Manikarnika Films, Zee Studios and Dharmatic Entertainment