Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, is coming out next month. After the critical acclaim that Mulk got, this is Sinha’s second ‘topical’ film. Like Mulk, even Article 15 has an interesting ensemble of actors including Manoj Pahwa, Nassar, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub and Isha Talwar. The film sees Khurrana play a city-bred cop investigating ‘suicide’ cases in rural India, that possibly stem from caste-based discrimination.
Article 15 in the Indian Constitution says – “the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.”
In other words, all citizens have the right to be treated equally within Indian borders. The article further promises all citizens to have access to shops, restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment. It also states that those from backward classes, scheduled castes or scheduled tribes cannot be discriminated against for the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats and places of public resort (open to use for the general public).
With the recent reports of discrimination against minorities, Anubhav Sinha’s film is adequately timely.
From the looks of the teaser, the film is reminiscent of Alan Parker’s Mississippi Burning. The 1988 film starring Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman saw a two cops investigating the murders of African-Americans during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The Hollywood film was remade by Priyadarshan as Aakrosh, starring Ajay Devgan and Akshaye Khanna, which dealt with honour killings in the hinterland.
Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 seems to be addressing issues around caste, class and gender with a directness that has rarely been seen in a mainstream Hindi film. Something good will come off it hopefully.
Watch the teaser here:
Article 15 is scheduled to release on June 28, 2019.
