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‘Article 15’ (2019), directed by Anubhav Sinha, is a stark and unflinching look at caste dynamics in India that manages to find room for humour: its biggest strength. Inspired by a true crime which is unfortunately all-too common in India, the film follows the story of a newly-minted young police officer from an elite family who is posted to a small town far-removed from his reality. Two teenage Dalit girls have been found dead and hung from a tree, he is told on the first day of his posting. Perturbed by the indifference of the policemen working under him, he decides to take the investigation in his own hands.
Ayushmann Khurrana is solid in the lead role, never showy yet astutely conveying the character’s arc from naïveté to disillusionment to despair and then resolve. In a landmark scene where he asks all his teammates their castes, his bewilderment is palpable. The writing is effective, especially the comedic scenes which drive home important points without making them preachy. Each character’s viewpoint is commendably given room to express itself, making sure that the makers are not taking a simplistic view to the issue. Amazingly, the writers do not shy away from showing how politicians take advantage of these divisions in society, going so far as to expose the hypocrisy of the current regime.
Ewan Mulligan’s camerawork is appropriately dark and grim, unafraid to frame disturbing scenes in close-ups to ensure the audience is made uncomfortable. A scene featuring a manual scavenger lowering himself into a gutter is unforgettable. Kumud Mishra and Manoj Pahwa put in fine supporting performances. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub is moving in the role of a Dalit revolutionary who feels the weight of being a moral leader to his people. The two female supporting acts are however lacking in performance: Isha Talwar’s face is too blank to suit her role while Sayani Gupta hams her way through a part where restraint would have been more effective in stirring sympathy. The soundtrack is sometimes too overblown and drowns out the dialogue. The screenplay is a bit jerky, making it difficult to emotionally invest in any one character’s journey.
Towards the end of the film, the lead character enters a dirty swamp in his perfectly tailored trousers, surrounded by a team of policemen of all castes. As he steps in he says “it is time for Brahmins to get their hands and feet dirty”. Sinha uses such symbolic scenes to effect, simultaneously acknowledging the privilege of his and his protagonist’s position while pointing out that that position must be dismantled for true change to take effect. Every resistance needs an ally, and social change benefits all. Despite some weak links, 'Article 15' manages to effectively drive this simple point home.
Genre: Social drama, Crime Language: Hindi
Runtime: 2h 10min
Year of release: 2019
Streaming platform: Netflix
Hot take is a series in which I offer my first impressions of films from India and around the world.
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