PLOT : Based on the socio-political situation of India, the lives of police officers are followed. In a country where discrimination is everywhere, whether related to race or caste, the officers embark on a journey of acceptance and change.
MOVIE REVIEW : Article 15 is a well made courageous film on a sensitive topic of casteism which should be watched by all Indians, it is filled with references from the Badaun hangings in UP to the Una floggings and beyond. The film invokes Article 15 of the Indian Constitution that is about Right to Equality, prohibits discrimination of Indians on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. It is set in a village called Lalgaon in Uttar Pradesh where the IPS officer Ayan Ranjan played by Ayushmann Khurrana is posted.
The film is designed as an investigative drama, involving IPS officer Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann) who is solving a case where two young girls were raped & murdered and hung from a tree. Ayan takes it to himself to find the third girl and solve the mystery behind the death of the first two. On taking charge of the police station, he realises that the place is infested with caste discrimination.
The performances by an ace set of actors are one of the high points of the film. It has stellar performances by lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana and the ensemble supporting cast of Manoj Pahwa as Brahmadutt, Kumud Mishra as Jaatav and Sayani Gupta as Gaura. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub got a short but impactful role as Nishad, a charismatic Dalit revolutionary. Ashish Verma, Sushil Pandey, Ronjini Chakraborty, Isha Talwar and Nassar delivers a decent performance.
After Mulk, Anubhav Sinha has strengthened his work as a director and writer. The beauty lies in the redemption provoked by its narrative. Ewan Mulligan’s (well known for Ra.One) cinematography is flawless, he has captured the lifeless lives of the villagers with excellence. The background score is another highlight and dialogues written by Gaurav Solanki and Anubhav Sinha are also impactful.
The film has lots of eloquent and rousing scenes. In one of the best scenes, Ayan asks his team members to reveal their caste affiliations to prove that hierarchy runs deep even within sub-castes. They try to educate him about the existence of divisions and sub-divisions in the caste system.
Another scene where Manoj Pahwa as the upper-caste policeman cautions Ayan that the caste system is based on a delicate balance that must be maintained for social harmony. The uninterrupted shot of a sewage cleaner dunking himself into an overflowing, murky drain, is the one image that sticks with you forever. A cleaner of human excreta who has been condemned to the job by the accident of birth.
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Direction 3.5/5
Acting 4/5
Dialogues 3.5/5
Story 3.5/5
Screenplay 3/5
This film should not be missed. Highly Recommended !!
