This article examines how archives fail during moments of extreme political trauma, focusing on the Indian Emergency (1975–77). It argues that the traditional archive, reliant on official records, often cannot capture the complexity of such events. Instead, it proposes a broader approach that draws on films, oral testimonies, and anecdotes to reconstruct historical memory. These alternative media forms, though fragmentary, help create a more honest and layered account of the past. The article also explores how public memory projects and digital archives offer new ways of documenting and engaging with history when material records are absent or incomplete.