Anubhav Sinha seems to have rediscovered his mojo. The Mulk director, who started off making music videos for the then upcoming pop star Sonu Nigam, going on to later make forgettable films like Cash and Ra.One, seems to have found his voice. And that’s the first thing that comes to mind as we watch the simmering anger in the Article 15 trailer.
Starring Ayushmann Khurrana in the role of a cop, Sinha’s latest film seems to be dealing with caste-based discrimination in the hinterland, that might be a direct cause for a double homicide investigation. Given the rise in stories about violence being inflicted against the minorities, Sinha’s film has an urgency to it. There have been earlier films about the city-bred cop investigating murders in a sleepy town (a sub-genre in cinema that Edgar Wright hilariously parodied in Hot Fuzz). But given the current socio-political climate of the country, the visuals of saffron mobs with trishul in their hand, hits hard. And that’s what gives the trailer for Article 15 an edge over others.
Ayushmann Khurrana in his first outing as a cop, still seems to be on a golden run. Coming off the gigantic successes of Andhadhun (which made more than Rs 100 crore in China) and Badhaai Ho (more than 200 crore, last year), Khurrana is in complete control of his ‘leading man’ game. Surrounding himself with fine actors like Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa and Sayani Gupta, Khurrana seems to understand the benefits of a strong ensemble a la Aamir Khan. And the film’s pressing topicality only ensures that it will be labelled an ‘important film’ in the lead up to the release.
The only problem with the Article 15 trailer is its length. At 2:57, the trailer pretty much gives out too much about the film, and even risks unveiling the many (presumable) punchlines in the film. With Mulk, many noted how Sinha brought back the era of Rajkumar Santoshi dramas. Where high-pitched dialoguebaazi and loud theatrics take over subtlety. Sometimes the high voltage drama can be mistaken for overlong preachy scenes, something Sinha was guilty of in Mulk as well. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s pulled off something similar in Article 15.
Here’s the trailer of Article 15:
Article 15: is scheduled to released on June 28
