Analytic review on Article 15

Anubhav Sinha’s film Article 15 is a strike on the shackles of discrimination in India

Representation of REAL PROBLEMS of REAL INDIA

Abhinav Sinha’s Article 15 brings out the issue of class discrimination on the basis of caste, religion and gender, which still exist even after the birth of Indian Constitution.

 

Abhinav Sinha creates an outstanding work which is completely out of the melodramatical Bollywood films and also uses  name like Khuranna (which belongs at a very first position in a cast hierarchy) to light up the issue of caste discrimination.The composition of movie is very well done during dust and dawn rather in sunny or dark day

The film reminds us about the  Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion,race,caste,sex or place of birth as well as has been inspired by actual event of 2014 hanging of two girls after the mass raping in Badaun district of UP.

The protagonist of the film is Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann Khuarana),young IPS officer who is newly posted in Lalgaon. Ayan ranjan seems an outsider and a savior of oppressed people. He investigates the case of three missing Dalit girls, two of them were hanged upon a tree,while on was missing. It is a first frame around which the plot and subplot of the entire movie is interwoven. As he investigates this case, he brings out the various norms of discriminations like rape and untouchability.

 

Caste as an identity marker

 During a scene when frustrated Ayan Ranjan asks his staff about  their cast, followingly they mention a caste like Thakur,Chamar and Rajput and at a last Ayan lashes out at his staff who are staring at him. It seems quite laughable at first sight, but it reveals that first identity of each and every character is based on his/her caste.Bhramadatt Singh belongs to upper class while Jatav comes from lower caste.

Caste discrimination

Burning issue of untouchability is lighten up, when the function was organized on Ayan’s arrival and he came to know that lower castes were not allowed to serve their food, as well as these lower class people were not allowed to drink water in glass in front of Upper class people. They eat separately and not allow to touch the plates and glasses and food of upper caste. It reflects the status of each caste in society. 

Casticism in judgement

In India, there is a policeman like Bhramadatt Singh also, who does not believe in a fairness of system and orders rather forced Dr.Malati Ram to prepare false postmortem report of the girls. He is a complex character with grey shade, who is in a hurry to close the case as soon as early as possible. During a scene he warns Ayan Ranjan by saying that,

आप से निवेदन है सर, संतुलन मत बिगाडीये...

Here he talks about the harmony between upper and lower class people, he believes that there is no need for investigation for these Dalit girls. There is an undertone of caste based judgement.Besides all these, there is an interesting dialogue spoken by Aditi in answer to Ayan,

……हीरो नहीं चाहिए अयान, बस ऐसे लोग जो हीरो का वेईट ना करे

As it seems quite powerful dialogue,there is no need to be hero or to wait for hero,just a need to come out of comfort zone and raise voice against what illegal is going on all around. There is also a satire on Indian system while Ayan says that When I used to live outside of India I would sell Tajmahal and Khajuraho as they were my father’s property. It is a remark that, after returning into India, he would become familiar with the REAL INDIA, which has been living or believing  in caste discrimination even after the constitution Article 15.

In between the movie, when Anubhav Sinha presents Ayan as sticking an Article 15, it compels us to be aware about it as well as the use of VANDE MATRAM is a wake up call for the audience. We are not different from Aditi, Ayan and Gora, but we have a need to give a fight against illegal happening.

                  

At the end of the movie, there is a beautiful an inspirig rap song  Sharu Kare kya... ,which gives a message to do something rather than talking or thinking about it....

 बातें बहुत हुई काम शुरू करें क्या

कल क्या करेगा आज शुरू करें क्या

ये देश अपने हाथ कुछ बातों से होगा ना

तू खुद ही है नायक तो शुरू करें क्या

बातें बहुत हुई काम शुरू करें क्या

कल क्या करेगा आज शुरू करें क्या

ये देश अपने हाथ कुछ बातों से होगा ना

तू खुद ही है नायक तो शुरू करें क्या......

It is a very well directed film by Anubhav Sinha which reflects the socio political situation of India.The narration is mainly focused on a crime investigation and unfolded the bitter truth of our society.