Ayushmann Khurrana starrer socio-political thriller ‘Article 15’ hit the theatres in the city on Friday to a great reception. In a State marred by recent incidents of mob lynching and witch-hunting, the movie seems to strike a chord with Ranchiites.
Aditya Mitra, a young literature graduate, said that he loved the concept of the film. “The movie is not that radical, but very informative on the caste divide and its deadly consequencesin our country,” he said.
An employee of PVR Cinemas, Nucleus Mall, Ranjeet said that the first day response has been great. “More than 60 per cent seats are getting filled in all slots of the film. We are expecting the turn out to increase during the weekend, he said.
The film, directed by Anubhav Sinha,is based on the rigid caste-system prevalent in the rural areas of the country, and is reportedly inspired from the Badaun gang rape and murder case.
Ayushmann plays Ayan Ranjan in the film, a police officer oblivious to the whole caste structure, who has to solve a case involving rape and murder of young girls in a small village. The film then follows his investigation as he plunges into the whole caste-driven mess of the village.
Nandini, an architecture student at BIT Mesra, was all praises for the movie. “I really loved the film. I think the film will do better in urban areas than rural, where people are usually more conservative. More movies like this should be made in mainstream Bollywood,” she said.
Vinay Shankar, an assistant at civil court, Ranchi, praised the intent behind making the film. “I did not find the movie entertaining, but it touches upon real issues so it’s good,” he said.
Ritwik, a medical student, praised the acting of Ayushamann Khuranna and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, who plays a Dalit activist Nishad in the film, and said that the movie is an important one. “The movie will really start a conversation about caste among the youth. Ayushmann is doing a great job with choosing films,” he said.