How Dara Singh struggled to release his film during Emergency, Sanjay Gandhi helped 3 years later
The Emergency era, which started in 1975 and ended in 1977, was one of the darkest chapters of the country since it gained independence in 1947. The freedom of the press was severely restricted, and the entertainment industry also bore the brunt of the same as many films, and songs, which seemed to question the ruling government or were not in alignment with their politics, were banned. While some actors and directors like Kishore Kumar and Dev Anand were vocally opposing the government, others like Manoj Kumar ended up suing them. Films like Aandhi were caught in the crossfire, and the likes of Sholay had to accept the changes issued by the CBFC if they wanted to secure a release. During this phase, veteran actor-filmmaker Dara Singh, also suffered heavy losses as his Punjabi film, Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, was banned after its release, and he lost over Rs 35 lakh (around Rs 10 crore in 2026, adjusted for inflation). ‘Unnecessary controversy’ around Dara Singh’s film In the film, Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, …
