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'Article 15' movie review: this is a film that everyone in India needs to see

Ayushmann khurrana stars in the movie based on shocking true events: its story and message certainly hits a nerve.

Ayushmann Khurrana in 'Article 15'. Photo: You Tube/Zee Music Company

Article 15 Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios Directed by: Anubhav Sinha Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub Our rating: 4/5 

Anubhav Sinha's Article 15 is a hard-hitting film that tackles the caste discrimination that is rampant in India – and, as this story shows, fatally so at times.

The country is predominantly Hindu, the religion from which the caste system stems. It prides itself in its message that “unity is diversity” and has been the biggest democracy in the world for more than seven decades. The values and rules of the country all stem from the Constitution of India, a book and legal guide drafted by BR Ambedkar (who was from the Dalit caste, but eventually converted from Hinduism to Buddhism and campaigned against caste discrimination).

The film draws its title from Article 15 of this book: this forbids discrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

But the reality is that caste discrimination is a malaise that is widespread, especially in the Hindi heartland. This reality is driven home multiple times by the film, with its cast full of stellar performances. In fact, almost every dialogue and performance deserves applause. There are exactly four lines of comic relief, but those are so pertinent and they release the tension which builds with the rest of the scenes, which are dead serious.

Lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana, following on from the success of Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho,  plays senior police officer Ayaan Ranjan, who has been partially educated abroad and has to come to grips with the reality of caste discrimination - something he has read mostly about in the media - when one gruesome and unjust murder case lands on his desk.

In real life, Khurrana belongs to the highest grade of Brahmins, and so it the top of the caste order.

Directing and producing this highly sensitive social drama is Anubhav Sinha, who last directed the popular Mulk , which tackled Islamaphobia.

The movie tells a story based in reality, and builds on the 2014 Badaun rape case, in which two teenage women were murdered in Uttar Pradesh. The women were from the Dalit caste, seen as the lowest on the ladder. The police say the women, who were hanged in public, were not raped, however the families to this day insist that they were.

Sinha's plot details the death of two sisters, and the search for their one cousin who goes missing. The case unfolds just as the protagonist cop Ranjan takes charge of his posting in the rural district of Lalganj. As he investigates, he   exposes many forms of discrimination: job quotas, untouchability, honour killings over relationships between people from different castes, rape and torture. The film makes the audience really look at how these things play out in society.

There are moments of satire, played out so well by the dependable Kumud Mishra as Jatav, a lower caste police officer and Manoj Pahwa, a senior Brahmdutt Singh from the upper caste.

Apart from Khurrana and his deputies in the police force, stealing the limelight is Sayani Gupta (Gaura) and Zeeshan Ayyub (who plays her love interest, Nishad). Gupta’s expressive eyes handle a range of emotions: she plays a woman in love, and someone who is still hopeful of justice while having to be subservient. She also portrays the emotions of mourning: her three cousins are the victims at the centre of the plot.

Nishad, meanwhile, plays a genius who gave up a bright career to become a rebel leader championing the cause of lower caste Dalits. He gets very few scenes, but his cameo appearance has a powerful presence.

Towards the end of Article 15 , we meet a prejudiced officer from the elite Central Bureau of Investigation, played by Nasser, who is threatening to undo Khurrana's investigation. But in the film we see his conscience being appealed to: this will perhaps send a message to the audience, but doesn't feel overly verbose or admonishing.

The most predictable (but still very pertinent) moment comes via a rap that directly speaks to modern India, with the lyrics "let’s make a difference. Shall we begin?"

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Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

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Article 15 | Song Teaser - Shuru Karein Kya

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Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

sdgupta295 1394 days ago

Fabulous.Seen the movie 8 times.Just love it.

Devang Gauswami 1434 days ago

master piece

vishu katiyar 1449 days ago

Fantastic movie

viru rok 15198 1458 days ago

Must watch it.It reveal out evils of society nice to see ayushman again with a special film.

Arnab Ghosh 1465 days ago

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Article 15 movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana hunts for inconvenient truths in an essential film

Article 15 movie review: anubhav sinha and ayushmann khurrana’s film has the stench of honesty. it as asks you questions you already know but don’t ask yourselves enough. rating: 4.5 stars..

Article 15 Director : Anubhav Sinha Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Sushil Pandey, Sayani Gupta, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub Rating: 4.5/5

The posting was a punishment. Ayan Ranjan, newly minted Indian Police Service officer, the tuck of his shirt crisp as a new banknote, readily admits the reason he’s sentenced to the bleak badlands of Uttar Pradesh. Ranjan had agreed with a senior officer without sounding officious enough — he had said “Cool, sir”, a yes-man forgetting his only line — and the perceived insubordination was enough to land him in a world where half the people don’t touch the other half.

Article 15, Anubhav Sinha ’s searing film about the indignities endorsed by the caste-system in modern day India, does not play it cool. Inspired by the real-life Badaun killings — and a stirring tribute to Alan Parker’s 1988 procedural thriller Mississippi Burning — this film features policemen hushing up the murder and gangrape of three 15-year-old girls because they belong to a lowered caste. Us, and Them. It is a grim, unrelenting and essential film, one throwing up truths we choose to forget.

 Also Watch | Public Review of Article 15 | Ayushmann Khurrana | Anubhav Sinha  

“Welcome to Page 7 India,” says Ranjan’s wife, when he calls and texts her, his eyes wide with newly discovered outrage at the plight of the Dalits and the downtrodden in middle India. Reports about these atrocities are relegated to the little-read middle of the paper, far from the front and sport pages. Ayan, a young Brahmin who likes his single malt, and walks around with a holster suavely sticking out from underneath a well-cut blazer, feels as much a stranger to that locale as an Englishman. The policemen below him are keen to make sure he isn’t some young fool out to change the system after watching too many renegade cop movies starring Ajay Devgn. ‘They get transferred,’ grunt old cops in the know, ‘while we get killed.’ Us, and Them.

Written by Gaurav Solanki and Sinha, the film has the stench of honesty. It is hauntingly shot by Ewan Mulligan, who slides through the shadows to zero in on acute specifics: the breakfast prepared before a murder, the everyday banality of a crime scene, and — most unforgettably — a man cleaning a filthy black drain. He cleans our world because we won’t do it ourselves.

As policemen plod through a marsh, Ranjan asks about politics, and the men good-humouredly state why they vote for the Elephant one year and the Cycle the next, and for the parties their mothers told them to always vote for. Rebels use Whatsapp, while cops keep tabs on activism by seeing what messages are being forwarded. The filmmakers cannily use texting to educate the leading man, the messages from his level-headed wife becoming the voice in his head. We do not need a hero, she insists. We just need people to stop waiting for a hero.

Ayushmann Khurrana plays Ranjan with inevitable entitlement. His elitist indignation while barking orders gets things done, but also distances him from the policemen answering to him. In one remarkable scene he matter-of-factly asks the cops about their places — and his own, for he is privileged enough not to know — in the caste hierarchy, and the distinctions between caste-and-Kayastha are maddening. One of them says he is a Jaat, and was ‘normal,’ but has now been granted Other Backward Class status, while Jaats in other states have not. This is illegal. Ranjan asking them their caste, I mean. Not the division, but the pronouncement of it.

Khurrana is spot-on, consistently harrowed and, building on the everyman baggage of his earlier films, immensely relatable. He eschews showiness to stay true to the part, a protagonist who is aware he will be looked on as an upper-caste saviour, aware that it isn’t his role.

Sinha surrounds him with a superb ensemble. Manoj Pahwa is frighteningly good as a higher-caste cop. Berating a junior, he clenches his teeth so hard it feels like he doesn’t trust himself to open his mouth, for fear of biting someone of a lower status. Top performances come also from Sushil Pandey as a lowly policeman who seems like the nicest bloody guy; Kumud Mishra as the son of a sweeper who is now a policeman (yet relentlessly reminded of his background); and Sayani Gupta as sister to one of the missing girls, her gigantic plaintive eyes an indictment of India itself.

The mercurial Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub plays a revolutionary, a rebel who can’t afford to lose hope because he has become a face of it. He gets the film’s most memorable lines, achingly confessing how he has been so romanticised that he is left without romance. With the horrors around, it felt criminal for him to smile at a girl he loves. In the land that allows Us and Them, all pleasure feels guilty.

What do you do when the system is the bad guy? There are no revelations here. We’ve read about such cases, we’ve sighed about these horrors. Article 15 is not a film in search of easy answers. It is instead a reminder that we already know the questions, but don’t ask them enough. Not cool, sir.

(The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. They do not reflect the views of Hindustan Times.)

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Article 15 Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana's Bitter Pill With Just A Hint Of Sugar Coating

Article 15 movie review: ayushmann khurrana underplays his part to great effect, enhancing the intensity of the character..

Article 15 Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana in a film still. (Image courtesy: ayushmannk )

Cast : Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub

Director : Anubhav Sinha

Rating : 4 Stars (Out of 5)

A compelling, corrosive police procedural that lays bare the harsh reality of caste and gender oppression in the sticks of Uttar Pradesh, Anubhav Sinha's Article 15 punches us in the face with the force and precision of a heavyweight pugilist's fist. The blow sends us reeling because nothing that the gritty, unflinching film tells us is a revelation. Haven't we known all along what kind of people we are and what sort of denial we live in? Article 15 only serves as a grim and urgent reminder - and a call to action.

In the context of Hindi cinema as a whole, Article 15 is as radical a film as any. Earlier this year, Abhishek Chaubey's period dacoit drama Sonchiriya dealt with gender and caste atrocities and how they were interlinked in a terrain where predators roam free. Most other Hindi films that have addressed the shocking repercussions of rigid social stratification - the likes of Sadgati , Ankur , Damul , Paar and Chauranga - have emerged from a non-mainstream space.

Article 15 Movie Review: A still from the film. (Image courtesy: ayushmannk )

Article 15 is an important addition to a very small number of Hindi films that have successfully tackled weighty social issues through the means of a more popular idiom. Sinha's hard-hitting film employs familiar elements, including a lead actor with considerable star value and a regular beginning-middle-and-end structure that rests on recognizable whodunnit devices. However, Sinha, who has written the screenplay with Gaurav Solanki, elevates the film significantly above the humdrum by opting for a restrained but emphatic tone that befits the horrific nature of the crime and the cover-up attempt at the core of the story.

The film opens with an angry folksy number ( Kahab toh lag jaayi dhak se ) crooned and enacted by Sayani Gupta. She plays a Dalit woman in love with a political rebel, Nishad (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), and whose sister goes missing after two minor village girls are raped and hung from a tree. She sings of India's glaring rich-poor divide and the deprivation of her people. The number is followed immediately on the soundtrack by Bob Dylan's Blowing' in the Wind, which instantly places the plight of this country's poverty-stricken, cast-out masses in the universal context of rampant exploitation of the poor and defenceless.

"How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man," Dylan had asked in one of his iconic songs. One character in Article 15 - the hero's activist-journalist partner Aditi (Isha Talwar) - insists " bas aise log chahiye jo hero ka wait na kare (we only need people who won't wait for a hero to get things done)".

The male protagonist, young IPS officer Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann Khurrana), isn't a conventional hero at any rate . He does swing into action but he is thwarted at every step because he plays by "the book of law". Aditi asks him: Does the book care about justice? Ayan believes it does. The film is about his efforts to prove that his faith in the Constitution isn't misplaced.

At the halfway mark, where the unrelenting police officer decides to remind his men of the importance of the letter and spirit of Article 15 of the Constitution of India, the film uses Vande Mataram as part of its background score to underline the Republic's guiding principles. The film ends with a hip-hop number into which an instrumental rendering of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan, Vaishnav Jana To Tene Kahiye , disappears. Between and through these evocative bookends, Ewan Mulligan's cinematography not only matches steps with the film's rhythm, it also frequently serves to determine the narrative's heartbeat.

While there is a solemn debate that runs like a thread through the film, its narrative construct is conventional enough. The IPS tyro is sent to a semi-rural outpost of Uttar Pradesh, where he takes on a corrupt, compromised law and order system and is sought to be deflected from his path by his second in command who has a vested interest in repeatedly counselling caution. It is the treatment of the disturbing theme that sets Article 15 apart from run-of-the-mill Bollywood cop dramas.

For one, the police officer is presented as an inquisitive 'outsider' seeking to make sense of the complexities of the caste system and its repercussions on the poor and the marginalised rather than a trigger-happy lawman out to enforce his writ in a benighted place that is no more than a speck of the map of a vast nation.

And two, Article 15 examines the caste composition of the police force itself in a manner that no Hindi film has ever done. Bollywood crime-busters have either been cynical vigilantes or sanctimonious police officers swearing unwavering allegiance to their uniform. In this film, the policeman's vardi , in more cases than not, does nothing to suppress the caste identity of the individual who dons it.

Ayan Ranjan sheepishly admits that he is a Brahmin only to be summarily told by one of his subordinates that he doesn't belong to the top category of the upper caste. One of the seniormost men in Ayan's team, Brahmdutt Singh (Manoj Pahwa), is a Thakur, his driver Chandrabhan Singh (Subhrajyoti Barat) is a Rajput, his communications guy Mayank (Ashish Verma) is a Kayastha and another old hand (Kumud Mishra), son of a sweeper, is a Jatav. Most of these men wear their identities on their sleeves and how they engage with the world around them is impacted by who they are in the social hierarchy. Phrases like " woh log " and " tum log " - those people and you people - are bandied about freely, driving home the divisions the run very, very deep here.

Article 15 is about nonstop exploitation of the rural poor, rape as a weapon of suppression, murder and mayhem and an appalling culture of impunity when it comes to investigation of crimes against the dispossessed. The action is set in a scenario where the police force is habituated to turning a blind eye to the abuse of power by those who milk a rotten system for personal aggrandizement. For good measure, the plot takes into its fold a Dalit leader and a saffron-robed mahant, both as opportunistic as the other in the matter of fishing in troubled waters.

The director wins half the battle by casting little-known actors with real faces who look and act like people you would meet in an upcountry village. Ayushmann Khurrana underplays his part to great effect , enhancing the intensity of the character. Article 15 also benefits from highly effective performances from a supporting cast that includes proven quantities like Nassar, Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

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Sinha draws many of its plot elements from newspaper headlines of recent years, the principal one related to the 2014 Badaun gangrape and killing of two girls and the 2016 Una flogging of Dalit men and employs them methodically to probe caste and gender fissures and fault lines. It remains true to the demands of the plot without losing control over its principal purpose - administering a bitter pill with just a hint of a sugar coating. It works wonderfully well. Article 15 is a not to be missed film .

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Article 15 movie review: Making the invisible visible

Article 15 movie review: article 15 may have an unsatisfactory element or two, but as a film, it rushes in to tread forgotten grounds. it is what is needed, call it what you will-- a clarion call, a bugle, a shout-out..

Article 15 movie cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Isha Talwar, Sayani Gupta, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Nassar Article 15 movie director: Anubhav Sinha Article 15 movie rating: Three stars

‘Aukaat wahi hai jo hum dete hain’. This line, spoken by a brutish male character who exemplifies centuries-old class and caste and gender privilege, gets us to confront the deepest faultlines of modern India. On this side are the upper-castes and the untrammelled power that comes with that pole position; on the other, are the lowest of the low, the invisible, the Dalits; and in between is the heartbreaking divide which shapes our destiny in this country even today.

Anubhav Sinha follows up 2018’s Mulk, which shone a searing light on the religious strife tearing the country apart, with Article 15. In Mulk the upholding of the Constitution by a judge in a court room comes at a climactic moment; here, it becomes the film.

The arrival of IPS officer Ayan Ranjan (Khurrana) to take up his new posting in a UP village creates ripples. The new man is an outsider who has no idea of the importance of the ‘santulan’ (‘balance’) that his subordinate Brahmdutt (Pahwa) lives by, and enforces with practiced entitlement.

The upright cop’s ‘ignorance’ of the ways of the world, is used as a classic device through which many of the ‘customs’ can be ‘explained’. Ranjan is made to learn that Brahmins like Brahmdutt are on the top of the food chain, feeding upon those who belong to the ‘pichadi jaati’, whether they are his own colleagues like Jatav (Mishra), or the three missing young girls who dare to stand up for their rights. ‘Inn logon mein toh aisa hota hi rahta hai’, says a policeman dismissively, no point in getting all stirred up. Ranjan, of course, is primed to do exactly that.

Some of the conflicts, especially between the policeman whose coming shakes up entrenched local power-centres, comprising political and religious figures and complicit cops, remind you of Prakash Jha’s films, especially Gangajal and Aarakshan, and, in a flash or two, of E Niwas’s Shool.

The difference is in the way the ‘Article 15’ ratchets up the complicity and complacence. And more crucially, in the way it fashions its cop. Ranjan is less vigilante hero, more a human being trying to grapple with the monstrosity unleashed on powerless people around him, his moustache coming off more a personal choice than a marker of male pride. You see Khurrana’s initial tentativeness settling into resolve; it isn’t a showy performance, and it gets better as he goes along, though I wish he had come off more steely.

Like Mulk, Article 15 lifts its chief plot points, and a pivotal character, from real life. The deaths of two girls in Badaayun (that image of the two lifeless salwar-kammez-clad bodies hanging from the tree is burnt on your eyeballs) ; the introduction of a saffron-clad ‘Mahantji’ who canvasses for votes from across the caste spectrum, and ‘wins with a thumping majority’; the flogging of Dalit youths in Una (which the film doesn’t make as much of as it could have; we see a glimpse, and then it’s gone). These were, and continue to be, headlines.

There’s a lot that’s well done in Article 15, even though some of it is too on the nose, like a primer-explainer of ‘rural caste oppression and urban ignorance’. And at places, it feels scattered because there’s too much going on. I found a few strands unconvincing: Sayani Gupta’s Gaura, who plays the older sister of one of the missing girls, has a vivid presence, but is wrong for the part; Zeeshan Ayyub’s rebel Dalit leader’s comings-and-goings take away from the proceedings. The romantic thread between the cop and his activist lady-love (Talwar) is a filler, and the thriller-like chase to-find–the-missing-girl tone feels gratuitous.

The performances to watch out from come from Kumud Mishra and Manoj Pahwa, both of whom played significant roles in Mulk: it looks as if Sinha is building a repertory of good actors who add heft to whichever films they are in. And Nassar, as the officer who knows how not to rock the boat, is excellent.

Sinha set the bar high with Mulk, which brought back the words Hindu and Muslim, and everything they stand for, back into mainstream cinema. Article 15, which comes less than a year later, is not as impactful as Mulk, but it is as important a film. Corrosive religious fundamentalism divides us; caste keeps us separated in perpetuity.

To make films which topline these subjects is a way of getting us to talk, and, in an ideal world, start some kind of a push-back against injustice and oppression, things we have dangerously begun taking for granted. Article 15 may have an unsatisfactory element or two, but as a film, it rushes in to reclaim the grounds we have ceded. It is what is needed– a clarion call, a bugle, a calling-out– all rolled in one.

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‘Article 15’ review: Wild, wild heartland

A compelling film on the journey of its lead ayan, but it’s one of the smaller characters, nishad, whose tale now needs to be told urgently as an accompanying piece.

Updated - June 28, 2019 12:30 pm IST

Published - June 28, 2019 11:16 am IST

Ayushmann Khurrana in ‘Article 15’

IPS officer Ayan Ranjan ( Ayushmann Khurrana ) could be anyone of us — urban, educated, entitled, shielded from, if not entirely immured to the ugly ground realities of the country. The kind who would know little of or could even be entirely unaware of caste based discrimination owing to their own privileged position in the fundamentally unjust world. The journey of Ayan, as he takes charge of Lalgaon as upper police superintendent, becomes a cinematic primer of sorts for the distanced and the disengaged.

It begins with Ayan getting taken in with the beauty of the interiors with intimations of what lies ahead slipping in through Bob Dylan playing in the background: “Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?” A perfect reference point for him and well contrasted with the local folk song —“Kahab to lagi jaaye dhak se” — that talks of the yawning difference between the lives of the rich and the poor for whom even Rs 3 means a lot.

Soon there is shock at the realisation that he can’t buy a bottle of water from the village of the Pasi community even as his confidant Aditi (Isha Talwar) on the other side of the phone calls him “Lord Mountbatten lost in the Page 7 India”. It’s this demographic that writer Gaurav Solanki and filmmaker Anubhav Sinha seem to be addressing — those who can smugly dismiss caste talk because they are already entitled, while the stigma of caste and the concomitant biases is too finely entrenched to vanish with the individual political correctness and lack of prejudices of a few who are far removed from what Ayan himself calls the “wild wild west”. Here there are highs and lows even in Brahmins (Kanyakubj are better than Saryuparin) and the Dalits (Chamar over Pasi). Here the caste divides are referred to as ‘santulan’ (balance) brought in by Brahmaji. Sab barabar ho gaye to raja kaun banega? (If all turn equal who would be the king?) The moot point being do we need a king at all?

• Director: Anubhav Sinha
• Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Isha Talwar, Sayani Gupta, Ronjini Chakraborty, Nasser, Ashish Verma
• Run time: 130 minutes
• Storyline: IPS officer Ayan Ranjan takes charge of Lalgaon as upper police superintendent to find himself battling the class divides and investigating the murder of two young Dalit girls

Solanki and Sinha do well in showing the everyday discrimination and how they get internalised in the disenfranchised themselves. How they won’t offer pakodas from their plate to the upper caste officer or refuse to drink water from a glass at his place.

Reality forms the backdrop of the story — the Badaun gangrape and murder case of 2014 and the Una floggings of 2016 — as Ayan goes about investigating the murder of two young Dalit girls. The film invokes Article 15 of the Indian Constitution that prohibits discrimination on thegrounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. But the film is as much about caste as it is about the “coming of age”, if one could call it that, for Ayan through his encounter with the caste system.

Article 15 plays out like a thriller, almost monochromatic frames and the morning mist adding to the murkiness of things. There are quibbles. At times Sinha seems to be hitting the point home a bit too hard. But then can there be a ‘too much’ when it comes to an issue like this? Religious politics of the local mahant, the corruption of the contractor all get meshed in, at times chaotically and sloppily, in the showcasing of the blatant powerplay. Dalit leaders are not spared either — the kinds who make statues while they are in power and play the Dalit card when in opposition.

Ayan’s friend Satyendra’s character remains vague and undetermined, more like a device in the plot and one would have definitely wanted to see more of the underground Dalit revolutionaries, the Daliton ka Robinhood Nishad (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is electric) and Gaura (Sayani Gupta). But, the nitpicking aside, Sinha doesn’t lose the emotional grip on the audience, has you invest in the events and often even indicts and makes you feel guilty and culpable. Much of it is to do with the ensemble with which he weaves the social fabric. While Khurrana strides along with confidence, evolving along with each new film, Ayyub, Manoj Pahwa (Brahmadutt), Kumud Mishra (Jaatav) and Ashish Verma (Mayank) are riveting in their lived-in parts.

The tagline of the film states —“Farq bahut kar liya, ab farq laayenge (We discriminated, now we will bring about a change)”. Sinha lays the onus of the societal transformation on the privileged. They have to alter the lopsided canvas. Flipside of it is that at times Ayan gets rendered in too righteous and distinctly disquieting image of a messiah (the Brahmin saviour if you please), almost lifting the downtrodden in his two arms, while they obsequiously thank him with folded hands.

Then there is the scene where he tells Aditi that he never saw the look in her eyes for him, the way he saw in Gaura’s for Nishad. The irony of the deprivation of the rich and the privileged as against the supposed wealth of the poor. On the other hand in a contrasting sequence you have Nishad talking of not being able to see the moon for even five minutes, not being able to dip his feet in a river for five minutes, never seeing true happiness with his ladylove for five minutes. Article 15 might be Ayan’s film but it’s Nishad’s tale that needs to be told urgently now as an accompanying piece. Days after watching the film the lasting image is that of Ayyub as Nishad, twirling his moustache like Chandra Shekhar Azad, saying “hum akhiri thode na hain”. He is not the last one to take on the oppression in this on-going hard fought battle.

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Article 15 Movie Review: A Punchy True-Crime Drama Defined By Its Haunted Characters

Director : Anubhav Sinha

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta, Isha Talwar, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub

Anubhav Sinha has come a long way from Cash, Ra.One and Tum Bin 2 . The values propagated by his recent movies – diversity, secularity, evolution, awareness – are reflected in the arc of his filmography. Hot on the heels of Mulk comes Article 15 , another urgent ode to one India from the other. Mulk had a courtroom and a progressive voice – Taapsee Pannu's character is a Hindu in a family of persecuted Muslims – to directly air its concerns about xenophobia and intolerance. Article 15 employs a similar 'outsider' trope to address caste discrimination through the lens of the (adapted) Badaun gangrape case. It cuts deeper and darker into Uttar Pradesh, a State (and a state) that best reflects the nation's mass rhetoric. Only, unlike most socially charged dramas, this film is mature enough to recognize that "change" is merely a dramatic construct invented by the arts to bookend a narrative. And that the conclusion of a story, in happiness or sadness or redemption, isn't the same as the conclusion of a problem.

To understand why Article 15 is such a remarkable film, it's important to understand its protagonist first. It's important to understand who he is, and why a Bob Dylan song scores his introduction scene. The man's name is Ayan Ranjan. Ayan is an IPS officer; his first posting is in an obscure village named Laalgaon. But he is not your filmy hinterland cop. On the contrary, Ayan is your woke "foreign-return" burbie who thinks this stint is his punishment for responding to a superior with a "cool, sir". Ayan is an observer who regularly relays his angrez thoughts ("The Indian countryside is beautiful") as Whatsapp messages to Aditi, a Delhi-based journalist friend who reports on gender inequality and human rights. He shares his first impressions ("The driver frowned upon my buying water from a 'lower-caste' village"), she wonders aloud from a city why rural incidents aren't as widely reported as the Nirbhaya case, and their discussions are fraught with lyrical undercurrents ("You want a hero, Aditi" – "No, I just want someone who doesn't wait for heroes"). Ayan's interpretation of these exchanges might read as: How many roads must a man walk down / before you call him a man?

Also Read: Anupama Chopra's Review Of Article 15

In short, Ayan is us. He is our eyes and ears. He is uninformed, in a uniform. With an idealistic mind whose grasp of the country's grassroot issues – caste hierarchy, political posturing, SC/ST labour strikes, honour killings – is mostly limited to the language of Dylan's poetic protest music. He rolls his eyes at the Dalit-Brahmin divide amongst his subordinates. His brain probably processes these regressive customs as: How many years can people exist / before they're allowed to be free? Ayan has the kind of privileged outlook to life that makes pasting copies of the Constitution's Article 15 onto the police pinboard feel like a grand gesture of heroism. But the Vande Mataram theme that scores his gesture is more satirical than patriotic in his head. The strength of Article 15 , therefore, lies in how it internalizes Ayan's gaze, his perspective, to reflect its own physicality.

For instance, the village is perpetually misty, and the nights, murky. The theme of doom – a guttural instrumental groan peppered with low drumbeats – scores his investigation, as if to suggest that nothing is what it looks like; there are secrets . There are shadows. "Don't disturb the santulan (equilibrium)," he is often warned. The camerawork is deliberately atmospheric, to frame the sort of noirish imagery that fits someone like Ayan's perception of a hostile new land. In his head, he is the classic detective-in-mysterious-small-town device. The air is ripe with fear. You can almost imagine him vividly describing his surroundings to Aditi: The two bodies hanging from the tree cut through the fog, the third girl is missing, they were raped on a bus, the local contractor is the prime suspect, the CBI wants a cover-up job, inspector Brahmadutt Singh (a superb Manoj Pahwa) is strangely cagey, constable Jatav (the reliable Kumud Mishra) is naive but loyal, the girl's sister (Sayani Gupta) is dating a passionate Dalit leader (a scene-stealing Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub), a Hindutva monk in saffron robes is the favourite to win the elections…and every character knows more than they let on. How many times can a man turn his head / and pretend that he just doesn't see?

Ayushmann Khurrana lends the perfect balance of culture and culture-shock to Ayan. In many ways, this role, like Taapsee's in Mulk , reflects his own rise as a smart no-nonsense outsider in the surname-heavy Hindi film industry. His "what the f*ck?" expression is organic. He always looks on the verge of exploding: a suppressed energy that informs Ayan's dangerous dive into the heart of darkness. He is in charge but barely in control. The more he learns, the lesser the film becomes about him. Most importantly, Khurrana's performance is such that it allows the story, in a daring leap of faith before the third act, to zoom out and reveal the macro narrative in which Laalgaon is just a dot.

It might seem like Article 15 is distracted here, but what it's really doing is defining the context – the insidious outer circle – that often tends to get consumed by the close-ended theatricality of a true-crime tale. Beyond Laalgaon's stillness lies the elections, assassinations, fake encounters, tragic heroes. The noirish mood disippitates, because we aren't really seeing the world through Ayan's eyes anymore. We're seeing the world that his eyes, and our eyes, might need a telescope to examine. We're seeing (solar) systems that we aren't conditioned to identify. It's as if the film is elevated into something more here, ironically, by playing down its own significance and size. Corruption is exposed. But there are no real resolutions. Questions are raised. Hopefully, by now, it's not just Ayan but also the villagers that are thinking: The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind …

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‘Article 15’ Hits You With Grim Reality of Casteism

‘article 15’ is a simple an straightforward commentary on the iniquitous practice of caste discrimination., article 15 prods us to think, reflect & question social status quo.

The most powerful scene in Article 15 is one sans dialogue.

Ewan Mulligan’s camera stays steady as we see a man push himself up from a filthy, clogged drain. His expression is unfathomable as he is covered with an almost black slimy liquid. As he ducks again to remove more garbage, the man becomes invisible, but this image is stark – as unforgettable as it is unforgivable.

The garbage and overflowing gutters outside the police chowki are a physical manifestation of the rut that runs deep in the system. Even in 21st century India, manual scavenging is a grim reality – one that Bollywood has finally become brave enough to depict.

For the uninitiated, Article 15 of our Constitution states that “the State shall not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.”

Article 15 Doesn’t Shy Away from Murky Malfeasance

In that sense, the film is a simple and straightforward social commentary on the iniquitous practice of caste discrimination. Article 15 doesn’t shy away from going into the murky malfeasance of upper caste hegemony and the social injustice so rampant that both the victim and the perpetrator have internalised it unquestioningly.

It is this attitude that makes our IPS hero Ayan Ranjan describe his new posting in Lal Gaon as the “wild wild West.”

With an education from St Stephen’s and having recently returned from abroad, he seems completely flummoxed by what he sees around. In a particularly telling scene, a group of police officers when being questioned about their caste readily furnish the information.

One is a Chamar, another a Pasi, and one is a Jat , who says he was “normal” earlier but now is an OBC.

Kayasts don’t belong to the four varnas, and we are told that even the upper caste Brahmins have sub-sections. The scene on its surface seems tongue-in-cheek, till a darker tone is revealed.

These are people whose sense of identity comes from their caste awareness and their whole world view is fashioned by it. As flabbergasted as officer Ayan Ranjan might be, it is exactly this that he must negotiate for there to be any hope of justice.

In a grim reminder of the 2014 Badaun gang rape and murder of two young girls found hanging from a tree, the film depicts the various forces at play to protect the perpetrators and further marginalise the victims.

It is the taut screenplay by director Anubhav Sinha and co-writer Gaurav Solanki that lends such depth of insight to the narrative that the film shines despite its determined eagerness not to.

Article 15 Prods us to Think & Question

The film benefits immensely from its perfect casting. Ayushmann Khurrana as the earnest and sincere police officer, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as the charismatic voice of the down-trodden and the terrific ensemble caste comprising Sayani Gupta, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Ronjini chakrabarty, Ashish Verma, Isha Talwar all are fabulous and irrepressible.

Khurrana and his telephonic correspondence with his wife – played by Isha Talwar, who in so many ways is his conscience keeper and confidante – helps us decode what really goes on in his mind.

It all comes down to keeping the book of law above all prejudice and bias.

Article 15 is a simple yet powerful statement on faith and inclusivity. However, it is not simplistic in its portrayal of a layered social reality.

It prods us on to think, question, reflect and makes us a little uncomfortable with the status quo – just as powerful cinema often does. Make time for it. I would go with 4 Quints out of 5!

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In the rural heartlands of India, an upright police officer sets out on a crusade against violent caste-based crimes and discrimination. In the rural heartlands of India, an upright police officer sets out on a crusade against violent caste-based crimes and discrimination. In the rural heartlands of India, an upright police officer sets out on a crusade against violent caste-based crimes and discrimination.

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Nishad : Sometimes, it feels like there is no hope, but you can't admit it because of all the people who get their strength from you.

Gaura : But you can tell me though.

Nishad : Sometimes i think about all the things i wanted to do. I wanted to bring you flowers, but such dreadful things were happening around us every day, that it felt like a sin to even smile at you. Life has been so difficult, that i never managed to find five minutes to sit quietly with you, with our feet dipped in the river. I have never looked at the moon for even five minutes. I don't even have five minutes of peace in my life.

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Article 15 movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana's restraint fits this overwhelming, gutsy take on Dalit abuse

Article 15 is the best that Indian cinema can be in these troubled times if it chooses to hold a mirror up to our society.

Language: Hindi with some English  

Bade bade logan ke iskool kaalej     

Aur bhaiya tuition alag se     

Hamre bachauan ke jimme majoori     

Kahte hain ka hoee padh ke     

Translation:   

Big people study in schools and colleges   

And brother, in addition they get tuitions   

Our children are obliged to do hard labour   

They are told, what will studying get you?   

(Extract from ‘ Kahab Toh Lag Jayee Dhak Se’ )

A Dalit woman leads a group of fellow Dalits singing this popular folk song about poverty and inequality in the opening moments of Article 15 . It is a catchy tune with a light touch that belies its poignant subject. The manner in which it is used here is also unusual in the context of Bollywood.   

First, in recent years, the number of Hindi film duets and group songs fronted by a female voice has fallen sharply in comparison with songs led by male singers. Second, this particular woman – Gaura (played by Sayani Gupta ) – is Dalit, a member of India’s most oppressed community and one that has more or less disappeared from mainstream Hindi cinema for about three decades now, barring exceptions like Neeraj Ghaywan’s lovely Masaan (2015), in contrast with India’s other language cinemas such as Tamil, Marathi and Malayalam that show far greater awareness of caste.   

That producer-director-writer Anubhav Sinha has chosen to kick off Article 15 with ‘ Kahab Toh Lag Jayee Dhak Se’, featuring Gaura instead of a high-caste male messiah of Dalits speaks volumes about his sincerity towards the issues he explores in this gutsy, gut-wrenching expose of caste oppression.   

The film draws its title from Article 15 of the Indian Constitution that forbids discrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. It is set in a village called Lalgaon in Uttar Pradesh where the IPS officer Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann Khurrana) is posted. Despite his good intentions, he finds himself initially at sea here because of his skeletal understanding of the caste system.   

An intelligently crafted scene in Article 15 serves as an education for Ayan whose liberal background combined with caste privilege at birth has allowed him the luxury – a luxury life does not grant Dalits – of growing up ignorant of caste. In that gently humorous passage, it becomes clear as Ayan quizzes his colleagues about their individual jaati that he knows nothing about this country’s exploitative, congenitally assigned social divisioning beyond what he has learnt in theory from textbooks: that Hindu society is divided into four varnas – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.   

What causes Ayan to attempt a study of caste is the rape and murder of two Dalit girls whose bodies are found hanging from a tree soon after his arrival in Lalgaon.   

As he proceeds with the investigation against all odds and gets acquainted with Gaura, his own colleague Jatav (Kumud Mishra) and the underground Dalit resistance leader Nishad (Zeeshan Ayyub), he is schooled in the magnitude of India’s caste problem.   

All this takes place against the backdrop of the formation of a united Brahmin-Dalit political front in UP.     

Films about marginalised communities are often made to stress the benevolence of progressives from dominant social groups. A striking example is the blatant white saviour complex of that appalling Hollywood film Green Book ,    winner of 2019’s Best Picture Oscar. Article 15 walks a tightrope to ensure that even as it uses Khurrana’s stardom to draw attention to its concerns and utilises Ayan’s quest for knowledge to enlighten the audience about caste, the screenplay does not get condescending towards Dalits and does not write him, a Brahmin, as a patron of the downtrodden who Brahminsplains caste to those suffering most at its hands.   

Besides, although Dalits are victims of criminal discrimination and violence in this film, the portrayal of the community is layered and not limited to teary scenes of nameless persons wallowing in victimhood. The Dalits of Article 15 are also its leaders and warriors, and Ayan is an ally, not a boss.   

Nishad and Gaura risk everything to battle injustice. Alongside them exist silent sufferers too as does the very believable Jatav who plays along with existing practices for his survival. And when the motivation for the rape and murder of young Shanu and Mamta is revealed, we learn that they were not bechari abla naaris of Old Bollywood but brave fighters for Dalit rights and martyrs to their cause.   

That said, while Article 15 ’s two most prominent women – Gaura and Ayan’s journalist-activist girlfriend Aditi (Isha Talwar) – are certainly tough characters, they remain in the woman-behind-the-man mould while at every level the reins remain in the hands of men. This may have passed muster in another Bollywood offering, but must be mentioned here since Article 15 has raised the bar for itself with its approach to caste representation.   

A conventional interpretation of this film may be that Ayan is its hero, but in fact the writing and direction skillfully foreground Nishad and make him an equal protagonist although he gets less face time than the former. This is achieved through various means including the use of Nishad alone for a powerful, occasional voiceover, the build-up of anticipation before his introductory appearance, the casting of the always-brilliant Zeeshan Ayyub ( Raanjhanaa , Shahid ) in the role, and the treatment of the finale.   

(Spoiler alert for this paragraph) At first, I was conflicted about Khurrana hanging around in the frame looking grim while a troupe of rappers belt out the anthem of protest, ‘ Shuru Karein Kya’ , in the end. As the number grew on me though, I became aware that I was on edge, worrying that Sinha was about to ruin his beautiful film near the finishing stretch by getting Khurrana to break into a dance and perhaps even throw a glammed-up Ayyub and Gupta in sexy clothes into the mix, because, well, that’s what happens in those thingies called ‘item’ songs. My tension ebbed away though as I realised that this video is instead an inversion of that Bollywood cliché, and that Khurrana’s presence through the song was, at least for me, a reminder of Ayyub and Gupta’s absence. That said, I remain conflicted about the need for ‘ Shuru Karein Kya’ at that point, coming as it did right after a deeply moving, uplifting climax. (Spoiler alert ends)  

Where Article 15 really kills it with music is in its astounding use of ‘ Vande Mataram’ . Twice. And both times I had to stifle sobs because the placement of the song in the narrative rips right through the agenda of hate being peddled by extremists currently appropriating ‘ Vande Mataram’ .   

Article 15 is a courageous work, not the least reason being that it is filled with references to current affairs from the Badaun hangings to the Una floggings and beyond. There was a time when “Mahantji” was a generic title, here though the allusion cannot be lost on any individual who has not been living under a rock in recent years. Before persecution complexes kick in, let this be said: Anubhav Sinha spares no one in Article 15 , not Hindutvavaadi politicians, not Dalit netas who use the community to rise in politics and then treat them with disdain, not the media who were up in arms against the 2012 Delhi bus gangrape but are rarely as stirred by the atrocities on women of the hinterland, not cowards who wear a mask of “neutrality” as a means of self-preservation, not members of marginalised groups who become fierce proponents of the marginalisers’ agenda once they themselves are in positions of power, not even Gandhi.   

Nishad’s statement, “ Hum kabhi Harijan ho jaate hai, kabhi Bahujan ho jaate hai, bas jan nahin ban paa rahey hai ki Jan Gan Man mein hamari bhi ginti ho jaaye ” (sometimes we are called Harijan, sometimes we are labelled Bahujan, but we have never managed to be just jan , people, so that we can be counted among India’s general citizenry), could well be seen as the film’s way of noting that while the Mahatma – who popularised the term Harijan (Children of God) – actively campaigned against untouchability, his interpretation of caste was flawed. However, the incorporation of a few bars from one of Gandhi’s favourite hymns,    ‘Vaishnava Janato’ , in ‘ Shuru Karein Kya’ tells us that even if Article 15 is calling the great man out on his failings, it is not outrightly brushing him aside and continues to pay tribute to his overall vision.   

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph) The casting of southern Indian acting stalwart Nasser as a government official taunting Ayan for his poor Hindi is a masterstroke – he is not a Hindi bhaashi himself and struggles with the language but backs those who seek to aggressively impose it on India as a whole and have turned it into yet another tool of divisiveness since Independence. (Spoiler alert ends)  

Sinha’s unfaltering direction is backed by Ewan Mulligan’s unsparing cinematography and a strong cast.   

That Ayushmann Khurrana throws himself into the stoicism and moral dilemmas of Ayan after the impertinence and amorality of his Akash in 2018’s Andhadhun and is convincing in both is a testament to his versatility. Sayani Gupta too has a knack of hitting the bull’s eye in vastly varied roles – if she could so thoroughly immerse herself in the part of a glamorous city-bred journalist in the glossy but superficial online series Four More Shots Please!     and deliver as immersive a performance in Article 15 ’s realistic circumstances, she can do anything. And Ayyub remains his own stiffest competition in successive roles as he gets more remarkable with each one.   

The entire cast seems to be playing a round of “Who Is The More Brilliant Actor?” Is it Kumud Mishra who reaches into himself to find the very soul of Jatav? Or Manoj Pahwa playing the incorrigible status-quoist Brahmdutt? Or Sumbul Touqeer who embodies the guilelessness of a child caught in a web of cruelty woven by adults?   

The contest for the best talent among them rivals the search for the best-written line. Sinha, whose Mulk skewered Islamophobia, outdoes himself here in the company of his co-writer Gaurav Solanki. I began taking notes during the interval so that I would not forget Aditi’s “Hero nahin chahiye , bas aise log chahiye jo hero ka wait na karein ” (I/we don’t need a hero, what is needed are people who do not wait around for a hero), or the hilarious scenes in which Jatav misunderstands an English swear word, or “ Daliton ke Robin Hood”, or Brahmdutt’s earnest “ Aap se nivedan hai Sir, santulan mat bigaadiye ” (I beg you Sir, don’t disrupt the balance), or “If everyone becomes equal then who will be king?” or…and then I gave up because there were too many worth noting down.   

Each eloquent sentence spoken in Article 15 feels like an arrow released from a taut bowstring by an ace archer, cutting through bullshit and past the play-it-safe ramblings dominating the ongoing liberal discourse to say it like it is and say what needs to be said.   

Watching this film is an overwhelming emotional experience. Article 15 is the best that Indian cinema can be in these troubled times if it chooses to hold a mirror up to our society, compelling us to confront the worst that we are and the best that we can be when we are not busy saving our own skins.   

Rating: ****1/2

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Review: “Article 15” Provides a Nuanced View of Caste Discrimination’s Effects in India

Bollywood film "Article 15" displays a sobering perspective on casteism’s persistence despite the law banning it, but leans heavily into its savior complex.

By Arjun Baokar , 4 Jul 20 01:01 GMT

Recently, the death of George Floyd in the US sparked protests against systemic racism, under the slogan #BlackLivesMatter. People all over the world banded together to protest against racism, carrying a message: equality under the law cannot exist while we ignore those our institutions marginalize. Our biases are as complex and embedded as these institutions themselves, meaning that racism—and other forms of discrimination—require action from all of us to fix. Given this, we’d like to highlight an Indian film that focuses on increasing our understanding of the victims of prejudice within a broken system: Article 15 .

The film, named after India’s anti-discrimination act , follows Ayan Ranjan, a well-educated Delhi police superintendent who is posted in the rural village of Lalgaon. The villagers are mostly Dalits, also known as Untouchables , the lowest caste in India’s caste system. Many Hindus consider Dalits impure, and relegate them to “dirty” tasks such as drain cleaning and scavenging waste. Dalits face danger from casteism , and may continue to face discrimination even outside of India .

Us and Them

The Lalgaon Dalits suffer from discrimination that stems from the caste divide. Police officers refuse to drink the same water as Dalits, and fear the shadows of Dalits falling upon them. Ranjan’s officers also discard the villagers’ reports of three teenage girls going missing, claiming that their children run away all the time. When the villagers find the lynched corpses of two of the girls, the police still try to close the case quickly and abandon attempts to search for the third girl.

An “us and them” mentality trickles into every interaction in Article 15 . Seemingly obvious decisions become difficult when power dynamics depend on group unity. For example, a group of Lalgaon Dalit freedom fighters institute a strike against the government and police in retaliation to how they’re treated. When Ranjan asks them for help to find the missing Dalit girl, they’re intially resistant to break their strike to allow villagers to help him. When Ranjan convinces them to help, the freedom fighters worry that their unity will weaken. The Dalits’ lack of power puts the freedom fighters in a lose-lose situation, and forces them to choose between a life and fighting for representation.

Article 15 forces the audience to confront their beliefs about anti-Dalit injustices through Ranjan’s eyes. Like many from the film’s target audience of socioeconomically advantaged Indians, he has no firsthand experience of casteism, and complains about the villagers’ backwards thinking. Ranjan then comments that the villagers look at him as a British imperialist, to which his local colleague responds “to them, you are.” This is a thinly-veiled reference to the British Raj’s divide-and-rule strategy of fomenting division between different religious and cultural communities. India is perpetuating the same pattern between the upper castes and Dalits, the film warns.

Laws are Powerless Without People

Ranjan rejects casteism and is determined to return the missing girl to her family and punish those responsible. The powerful ingroups rear their heads once again, silencing those trying  to defy the majority. Medical examiners lie about their findings, and in an acknowledgement of gender discrimination in India, discredit and silence the only female doctor willing to testify that the murdered girls were raped. Even Ranjan’s own police force tries to convince him to stop his investigation and threaten villagers to not cooperate.

Frustrated, Ranjan tacks Article 15 of the Indian Constitution (which forbids discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth) to the police notice board. He implores his fellow police officers to confront their illegal discriminatory actions, and their reactions range from realization to annoyance at their idealistic chief. Tradition and law are in direct conflict. To the audience, the message of the film is clear: the law is meaningless when people do not internalize and uphold it.

A Confusing Savior Complex

Article 15 tries to inspire its viewers to combat casteism, by demonstrating that it’s a multifaceted problem that requires everyone’s commitment. Ranjan is the best example of this. He begins the film frustrated that his wife Aditi (Isha Talwar) wants him to be an activist hero. She retorts that she just wants him to be “someone that doesn’t wait for a hero.” This line speaks directly to the audience: a change in national mindset requires work from everyone, not just a single person. However, Ranjan becomes the sole driver of change, making it seem like a hero was necessary after all. This creates a conflicting message of what the film expects its audience to do.

As Ranjan becomes the dominant moral force of the film, other characters’ stories are displaced. The film’s well-characterized Dalit freedom fighters lose their spotlight as Article 15 focuses increasingly on Ranjan’s investigation as the plot progresses. In an ironic move for a film that critiques the unequal status of women, the movie relegates Aditi to a weak and minimal role of supporting Ranjan. Article 15 falls prey to the same problematic hero-focused thinking it seeks to dismantle.

This confusing message is a blemish in this otherwise powerful film. Article 15 still succeeds at reminding urban India about the remnants of the caste system. It educates its audience on the complex power dynamics of systemic discrimination. Its harrowing depiction of the treatment of “the other” induces a visceral reaction in its audience, amplified by the fact that its story is based on real events . The film’s core message resonates with that of protests worldwide: the letter of the law alone cannot make people equal; true equality and justice requires all individuals to stand for the oppressed.

Article 15 —India. Dialog in Hindi. Directed by Anubhav Sinha. First released June 28, 2019. Running time 2hr 10 min. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Nassar, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra.

Article 15 is available to stream on Netflix .

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Article 15 Movie Review (2019) | India’s False Facade

Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Article 15 movie addresses one of those deeply rooted pivotal issues that still has India by its balls. Even after 72 years of independence, the country is still broiling in the muck of casteism and groupism. They are turning blind eyes to everything that surrounds it as if, as Ayushmann’s character Ayaan Ranjan puts it –

As if everything has been happening in a different country altogether.

Apart from addressing several pressing issues, Article 15 movie inscribes plenty of allegories and one-liners to show the pointlessness of our countless acts, of how Dalits have accepted their oppressive fate, how people in rural areas treat them differently to date, and how without them work stalls.

Primal Theme of Article 15 Movie

The movie is loosely built on 2014’s Badaun gang rape case where the police and CBI’s incompetency, in trying to provide justice to the family of the victims, had ended up smearing their names in the press. What it also does is implore the countrymen to disown their deeply rooted parochial image to pave way for some open-minded thoughts, and to think rationally, be unfazed by myopic ideas.

It allots a young rational IPS Officer Ayaan Ranjan, behind an ugly case to help us understand the ill-treatment meted out to the rural unfortunates first-hand and all the repercussions that follow that take them down, even more. They drown submissively to the tyranny of the people in control and it forces you to think if their lives ever really mattered?

It is one of those movies that brings out in the open our crooked criminal system too, (brings to mind Talvar movie ), of how corruption is literally seeping through the veins of incompetent policemen. There is a reason why the Indian Police department is still finding it difficult to get rid of that amoral image. Examples are all around us. It is hard not to see that.

The Indian Hypocrisy

The biggest hypocrisy of India resides in people who pretend to follow laws laid down by their constitution. Agreed, there have been laws stated by the government that people are supposed to follow. But what about the laws that dwell inside their very own heads? If it were a one-time thing it would have been easier to rectify but to get rid of an age-old habit, that’s where things become a lot more tricky.

Take dowry for example or the girl child issue. People put on a mask just to concur to things that are morally right but secretly they are wishing against it. People cheat themselves of their conscience, mould the rules to their own liking, and then they form their very own law based on what the majority thinks. Indian constitution becomes a joke then. But who is laughing?

Treating people as not people, that’s our biggest problem. Fighting on that very account, resorting to dirty politics and ignoring issues that are literally screaming for attention have been hollowing out this country from within from time immemorial.

Bramhdutt Singh in 15 Article

Anubhav Sinha chooses to depict Manoj Pahwa ‘s character Bramhdutt Singh in Article 15 movie as one of those quintessential villains who is hiding under the aegis of the Indian government, specifically behind the Police uniform, smearing its name by being corrupt to the core. There are instances aplenty wherein he forces you to shake your head as you witness his duplicity go deafening loud like a bullet shot.

He gives a superb performance as a police officer who tries invariably to shut down the case even before it tries to spread its wings. There is lethargy galore and unwillingness to work, avoidance to file reports, and the falsification and framing of alibis that literally define him. As a man who is riddled with such despicable qualities, he carries a natural inclination toward anger, and the wrath he unleashes every now and then on people he could stomp on, that has been well enacted. His sudden spurts of emotions are priceless whenever he finds himself surrounded by the truth.

The way he is shown treating dogs better than Dalits once again brings to attention our very own hypocrisy. We don’t even treat humans as humans. Dogs are better off!

Ayaan Ranjan

An educated rational man with a conscience is our hero Ayaan, something similar to the character of Newton , who finds himself smacked in the middle of a hell he doesn’t understand. All he is trying to do is his job and the right thing, but the right thing remains smothered by the people with power. It’s when these people begin misusing their power that things begin to go out of hand.

Ayaan is that inevitability that has to hit the system or nothing ever changes. He is a force that gets affected and awakened by passion. As he tries to do his job, he becomes more aware of things that dictate rural places of India – that lives only matter if you are privileged. The frustration goes to the peek when everybody around him keeps calling Dalits as ‘these people’ as if they are not their very own.

It riles you when you get acquainted with this ugly truth. There are still so many villages out there, where lower caste people still believe their place to be on the ground. It is the belief that has been hammered in them upfront that can’t force them to think otherwise. They are deemed untouchables because of the job they do. They have their own utensils, their very own inventory that they carry along with them so as to not peeve the upper caste. It is so very sad to acknowledge. Grown men behaving as if they would get cooties! That’s pathetic!

Isha Talwar as Aditi

Aditi in Article 15 movie is like that sane voice in the head of Ayaan Ranjan, a guiding force, something that tries to make him better at every step. Her voice is akin to a riot in his mind as he constantly strives to be a reformist with her help. With the aid of some scoffing remarks made to amuse Aditi on a messenger chat, the director occasionally paints a conventional picture to help us understand various views people still carry in their hearts, despite having ushered in the new age.

Lack of education is the force that emanates it. We are still way behind with our regressive mindsets, and every progress is a step wasted if we don’t work on it.

Aditi walks in at a time when Ayaan finds himself broken beyond limit, and when he needs her the most. Relief varnishes his head when he finds her at the door. It is a pleasant meeting short-lived owing to duty, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Pride swells her up with an honest confession. Her character is barely present but like a conscience loud and clear, she steers his pluck. It’s simply winsome.

Kumud Mishra as Jatav

Kumud Mishra plays Jatav, a guy who was handed over a police job after one that of a sweeper. In short, there was a hand on him (of Brahmadutt), that used him as it pleased, got its dirty work done, forcing him to keep mum.

Jatav is that quintessential element in our society who is standing at the verge of change, but can’t really do anything about it, because there are people right above him he is indebted to. Such people can’t raise their voice because their hands are tied.

Jatav is depicted in positive limelight where he begins to unspool and gradually tries to turn into himself – a paragon of righteousness. It consumes him once his eyes get deliberately pulled open, and then he isn’t scared anymore.

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Nishad

In his very short cameo but a powerful one, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub does a lot. He plays the character of Nishad to perfection. A rebel who is extremely consumed in his revolt, so much that he realizes he has missed out on his life entirely.

It is a sad world of which he becomes a part of, involuntarily. Born in a lower caste family, something he doesn’t have control over, all his shrewdness and intelligence get redirected to a cause that he finds himself leading.

You feel gutted when you hear him cry when he states he couldn’t have a normal life, that he couldn’t be a writer or a scientist, owing to his revolt against the trodden. Despite having a very small role, Zeeshan Ayyub makes sure it counts.

Nishad’s revolt doesn’t go to waste. His words prick you like needles in your flesh, that makes you once again pay attention to the brilliance of the screenplay of Article 15 movie.

Moments To Watch Out For

I like to think that a spilling manhole right outside the police station that keeps aggravating every day had a deeper meaning attached to it. Every day the sewage issue kept worsening, and it was in perfect reflection of what went inside Ayaan’s life. For a second I was deceived into believing that there would be a message inscribed in there about not waiting for someone to do your job but doing it yourself. That the policemen would get their hands dirty to clean their own mess. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen.

One of those gut-wrenching shots in the movie is when you see a man getting into that manhole and taking care of that clogged gutter. It eats you alive from the inside. A person who gets down to a shithole to take care of your mess, what does he get in return? How ungrateful and how low are we as human beings not to consider them above us or even as equals? How very detestable to treat a person based on their job, as if it defines them?

It’s a human tendency to seek groups. Put a dozen people in a room, they would tend to look for things that would separate them. It is something inevitable. But can’t we even try at least, to get rid of this inevitability? It’s important to educate people to help them understand they are no different. That if it’s been a rule, it means it has to be followed. It’s about changing mindsets and hammering the nail of bringing a Herculean task to fruition.

There is a scene where Ayaan, in order to understand, the caste system going on around, asks people what castes they belong to. He is blown away by the sheer futility of its knowledge. There are not only castes but even sub-castes in place, and that is simply baffling.

What the fuck is going on here?

My one complaint would be that there were many short-lived characters in the movie that didn’t get proper screentime to make you really feel for them. Nishad crying about his dreams or Gaura ( Sayani Gupta ) crying after his loss could have hurt more if we had a proper background story and a solid follow through. It would have become more relatable then.

The Final Verdict of Article 15

Article 15 has got a very nice raw feel to it. Acts are very natural, the way things generally are. Some humour is intermingled to take away the solemnity from the situation the movie tries to bank its plot on.

The flick ends at a high note showing winds of change in the form of some honest laughter. Hope it makes an impact.

Ayaan is new India, the voice we need today, the act we need now, to bring up the change we wish to see. Why are we lagging behind so much? It’s because of our internal regular squabbles within. We are feeding our own mob, and fighting with each other. Aren’t we forgetting we were created equal? Why did we alienate ourselves in the first place?

What is the government’s masterplan to wrong the right? A reservation that feeds a major chunk of the unfortunates. But where does it backfire? The rich become richer, whilst the destitute remain oblivious of their rights. How does that justify anything?

Article 15 serves as an eye-opener to those who think the law is made only to serve the privileged. To everyone who prejudices against a person and based on caste, creed or religion and treats them differently need to start treating people as people first. Laws are equal for everybody. Now the big question lies – how many of us really listen?

Check out the trailer of Article 15 movie here:

• Great Direction
• Brilliant Story
• Brilliant actors
• Short lived characters

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Absolutely loved the review, very minutely presented 🙂 As for the movie, both the director Anubhav Sinha and the lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana need to be commended for taking up a powerful subject and doing full justice to it with their direction and performance respectively. Especially Ayushmann, for the kind of movies he is doing. Such a versatile actor he is and he is getting even better with each movie! But one really wonders if things would change anytime soon because casteism is still remains a big factor in most parts of India (be it during elections or marriage or just about anything) and continues to plague our country. And that’s a real shame.

Thank you Amit. Glad you liked it. Yes, agreed. I guess proper education, treating each other with kindness, most importantly as humans is the solution.

– Scottshak

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‘Article 15’ movie review: A powerful examination of crimes against Dalits

Ayushmann khurrana stars as a police officer investigating murders and gang-rape in uttar pradesh in anubhav sinha’s film..

Could a movie about the systemic discrimination against India’s Dalits be subtle – especially when the movie is filled with justifiable anger about caste atrocities in Uttar Pradesh , Gujarat , Haryana , Maharashtra and elsewhere?

In Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15, which is in equal parts powerful and preachy, the question is purely rhetorical.

Sinha’s previous film Mulk , which examined Islamophobia, had a ripped-off-the-headlines quality that balanced its earnestness with a rare honesty about telling it like it is. Article 15 goes even further in smashing notions of cinematic politesse. The screenplay, by Sinha and Gaurav Solanki, is designed to provoke. There are debates about the historical ill-treatment of Dalits and fictionalised versions of recent atrocities ( Una in Gujarat , lynchings across the North), all amazingly permitted by the usually scissors-happy Central Board of Film Certification.

When words seem inadequate, the visuals take over: of Dalits cleaning our trash; disposable bodies swinging from trees; BR Ambedkar forlorn on his perch, watching his community’s struggles.

The movie’s title is inspired by the Constitutional provision prohibiting discrimination. The document itself is dragged in front of the camera. When it appears that its spirit has been forgotten, the police officer in charge of investigating the gang-rape and murder of two Dalit teenage girls and the disappearance of a third prints out the relevant pages and slaps them on the station’s notice board.

Another book guides police officer Ayan (Ayushmann Khurrana) as he heads to rural Uttar Pradesh to take charge of the force in his new district. As his Ambassador rattles through countryside that appears to be the very definition of bucolic, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India is by his side. Ayan is on the verge of a moment of realisation: that in “Page 7 India”, the caste system isn’t just alive, it is still kicking in the teeth of those at the very bottom.

The 130-minute movie wastes no time in reminding Ayan that unspeakable violence lies just beyond the window of his car. Two Dalit cousins have been hung from a tree (shades of the Badaun killings in Uttar Pradesh), and their friend is missing. A contractor is a suspect, and a religious organisation headed by a leader well on his way to political power appears to be connected too.

Ayan’s squad includes men across the hereditary social order – members of Scheduled Castes who have worked their way up, and Brahmins and Thakurs who are chafing at this impudence. Not all of them are on Ayan’s side. Manoj Pahwa is his malevolent best as the upper-caste policeman who cautions Ayan that the caste system is based on a delicate balance that must be maintained for social harmony.

Kumud Mishra turns in a nuanced performance as the son of a sweeper who now wears the police uniform. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub has a small but impactful role as Nishad, a charismatic Dalit revolutionary who appears to have been modelled on Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad .

Caste guides nearly every conversation in the movie, and is sometimes played for laughs. In one of the best scenes, Ayan asks his team members to reveal their caste affiliations to prove that hierarchy runs deep even within sub-castes. The answer to the same question in another scene is pure gold.

As Ayan scours the countryside to locate the missing third girl, he literally and figuratively wades through muck. A heart-rending scene shows a worker being lowered into a sewer – a cleaner of human excreta who has been condemned to the job by the accident of birth. Ayan finally gets his answers – and his moment of realisation – when he descends into a similar quagmire himself.

Not all of the lecturing lands elegantly, but when it does, the film assumes a raw power that is missing from mainstream cinema’s more guarded depictions of caste. Though the screenplay taps into too many sensations to make its point, the critique of the caste system is what ultimately stands out.

The background score works overtime alongside the writing to heighten the drama. The procedural bits are clumsy and give no indication of the timeline of the investigation. The track involving Ayan and his wife is a ham-handed attempt to leaven the heaviness. There is a bizarre moment when Ayushmann Khurrana takes off his shirt.

Ayan’s heroics undermine the stark realism that underpins much of Article 15 . Ayan’s gel-laden hair and uncreased clothes mark him out as a classic Hindi movie hero, and his ability to wiggle his way through a supposedly iron-clad system does not indicate canniness as much as convenience.

Khurrana has mostly played seriocomic characters or romantic leads. His casting is an inspired choice, and works best in the scenes where the slim-waisted actor commands authority through sheer voice modulation. He is less effective when holding forth on equality, and his saviour complex is grating in a movie that otherwise dares to explore caste in a refreshingly bold manner.

Article 15 isn’t exactly nuanced about the brutal system that continues to subjugate Dalits, but neither are the times. The implausible portions balance out the moments that echo the headlines. For every scene that seems out of place, another comes along to remind us of why this movie is effectively landing its punches.

• Anubhav Sinha
• Ayushmann Khurrana

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Article 15 movie review: A topical, intelligent and compelling affair

Director: Anubhav Sinha

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Isha Talwar, Sayani Gupta, and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

Director Anubhav Sinha's latest film 'Article 15' talks about an extremely pertinent issue, that of equality and uprooting discrimination from the society. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead, the film focuses on Article 15 of the Indian Constitution which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. In the times that we are living in, where our country is polarised and the cracks caused by the class divide is getting deeper; a film like this is a bold expression. 'Article 15' is a story about a man, like any of us, who struggles to do the right thing and it is scary how much the relevance of it rings true.

Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann), an upright IPS officer is given charge of the Lalgaon Police Station in the rural heartland of India. In the village of Lalgaon, three teenage girls go missing. Ayan's colleagues, (Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra) tell him the girls will turn up. But the next morning, when two of them are found hanging from a tree, it confirms that something horrible has happened to them. In the dreadful situation, Ayan confronts caste disparities and uncomfortable truths about the people of the society. Will he able to prevent these caste-based crimes and discrimination?

Director Anubhav Sinha once again showcases his composed assurance by putting forward a socially relevant issue and skilfully blends it with mainstream filmmaking. While his last film 'Mulk' focused on Islam-phobia by arguing against the common prejudices; in 'Article 15' he shows the horrors of caste-biased societal norms. The story is loosely based on the 2014 Badaun rape case, where two girls were allegedly gang-raped and hanged to death from a tree. On paper, this based-on-true-events drama read like an ideologically tacky film. But under the skilful hands of director Sinha working on a script by him and the co-writer Gaurav Solanki, 'Article 15' becomes one intriguing thriller. Sinha gives a meticulously composed drama which establishes a tense atmosphere from the start and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. The twists and shocks of this story are delivered with emotional precision, each one landing like a heavy punch in the gut, making every minute crackle with intensity.

The relevant political subtext is the most interesting aspect of the film which surprisingly works well as unexpected deadpan comedy. The interaction between smart and unpredictable characters is the main focus and certain situations are rightly peppered with winning wit and humour. The film is shot in the outskirts of Delhi, and cinematographer Ewan Mulligan has evocatively captured the spirit of these places. The gloomy atmospheric effect of the cinematography goes with the gritty subject of the film.

Like a lot of stories burdened with a purpose, 'Article 15' is a slow starter. The film's somewhat slow pacing, lack of urgency and generally anti-climactic premise take its toll in a 130-minutes long film. An array of characters are introduced, but despite the acting prowess of Sayani Gupta and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who play victims of social injustice, the script gives them a little to work with. The narrative gathers pace in the second half. When a film is as edifying as this one, its timing so accurate, and its atmosphere conjured with such skill, you do not really wish to register a complaint. 'Article 15' is absolutely what it appears to be - a relevant story told well by talented people.

The good acting intensifies the drama, with Ayushmann Khurrana's remarkable performance making a worthy centerpiece. It's rare to see a protagonist who's so gently human, so righteously patriotic, and so believable. And Ayushmann encapsulates all these qualities in his performance with par excellence. Isha Talwar, who plays Ayushmann's wife, performs her role with required restraint and nuance. In the supporting cast, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Sayani Gupta are competent.

Overall, 'Article 15' is a gripping social thriller anchored by excellent performances and a strong script that's rich in social commentary. With Anubhav Sinha's straightforward and unflashy directorial style, the film proves to be an effective drama. It may be devoid of spectacle, but it is still full of zeal and warrants a must watch.

Watch 'Article 15' trailer here:

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Article 15 (4/5) – Netflix Movie Review

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Sep 4, 2019 | 4 minutes

ARTICLE 15 is a new Netflix thriller inspired by true crimes that have taken place in rural India. It’s both inspiring and scary to watch. Most of all, however, it’s an important subject and the movie is extremely well made. Read our  Article 15  review here and watch the movie on Netflix.

Article 15  is a new Netflix true crime thriller. The story is inspired by some of the terrible caste-based crimes that have gone unreported. And, as a result thereof, ultimately unpunished. 

When a police officer, who has been educated in Delhi and travelled the world, is hired to run a department in a rural area of India, he is confronted with the powers of the caste system. It’s a wake-up call for him and he wants to change it. Mostly, he want to do things by the book and simply use the law to do his job. 

Read more in our full review of  Article 15  below!

What is article 15?

Of course, most will wonder about the title of this new Netflix true crime thriller. It refers to article 15 of the constition in India. Back in 1950, article 15 made it clear that all citizens of the country were equal and should be treated as such.

Of course, this is something that will sound familiar to what’s in other constitutions around the world. Unfortunately, many of us will also know that one thing is what the law says, it’s quite another to have to put into effect. In India, however, things are even more divided than in any other country that comes to mind. 

Also, this is taking place in the present. Imagine Apartheid in South Africa or racism in the Deep South back in the 1950, and then make it even more grotesque. I’m not trying to belittle the issues in South Africa or the US, but it’s something even older and more powerful at work in India. We’re talking about people being afraid of being touched by the  shadow of others!

The reason article 15 becomes so important in this story, is revealed in the trailer for the Netflix movie; Basically, you can get away with murder if you’re in a powerful caste and the victim is from a very low caste. Again, I know this takes place all over the world, but in this movie the powers at work just become very obvious.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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Article 15 Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana film makes you uncomfortable

Article 15, starring ayushmann khurrana and sayani gupta, is an uncomfortable and unpleasant watch, and makes you aware about the horrors in society, says our review. 3.5 stars out of 5 for article 15..

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Ayushmann Khurrana

There's a scene in Article 15 where a man is lowered into a filthy and overflowing manhole. He is not armed with protective gear by any means. He emerges with waste all over him. The scene is just quietly placed in the story without much explanation, because honestly, the ghastliness of it all speaks volumes.

Director Anubhav Sinha's craft lies in his subtle portrayals of the horrors that corrode the country from within. His sensitivity to such subjects shows when he depicts the evils that tear society apart. Like Mulk, Article 15 is an uncomfortable watch and makes you squirm when it shows you the caste discrimination in the country. In a Clockwork Orange-esque style, it opens the audience's eyes to what they've always been sheltered from.

Yet, while Mulk which dealt with institutionalised Islamophobia in India, had more hints of subtlety and nuances, Article 15 seems angry and does not wish to leave much for the audience to interpret and to let things sink in. It's as if Sinha is just exhausted with the unshakeable and rigid systems in the country and feels that this needs to be spelt out aggressively to people in long dialogues and monologues. At points, this tends to dilute the impact of the film.

ALSO READ | AYUSHMANN KHURRANA EXCLUSIVE: Shooting in a dalit village taught me about caste injustice

Article 15 is based on the gruesome Badaun rapes in Uttar Pradesh, where two girls were found hanging from the tree. Here, we are taken to the grim Lalgaon in UP, where people wear their caste on their sleeves. It's an unsettling world, where people don't even want to share water with people from lower castes. More than a person's name, it's their caste which is of relevance.

Police officer Ayan Ranjan (Ayushmann Khurrana) tumbles into this world. He is a man, who has "grown up in different countries", and such matters are baffling to him. And he has to solve a case where two young girls were raped and murdered and hung from a tree. The indifference towards these girls from the other policemen is reflected in the dialogues, where they try to figure out the technicalities of how to bring them down from the tree. It's not easy to watch that scene.

The rest of the film shows how Ranjan solves the case, while trying to understand the ingrained caste system in the village.

In a world of Bollywood cinema, where chest-thumping and nauseating patriotism is celebrated, it is safe to say Article 15 is a daring, and well-meaning courageous film. Unlike Karan Johar's glossy Dhadak, which tiptoed around caste in its film even though the original Sairat was hard-hitting, Article 15 plunges right in, unabashedly.

Yet, it has its fair share of problems. Apart from being rather sluggishly-paced in the beginning, Anubhav Sinha tends to lose control of the film at points with his enthusiasm of conveying the painful message. Ayushmann shows hints of a saviour complex, when he vows to "un-mess" the whole caste system here and bring the girls' families to justice at any cost. Like his girlfriend reminds him, there is no such word. And in a film that exposes such grim realities, what do these promises mean? In a world where these terrible occurrences are such a daily feature, these weighty words and promises are easier said than done. Or is it meant to ignite hope, that change is possible? You decide.

Sinha seems to want to find a middle path between cold reality and a more rosy, hopeful world, but is conflicted which ideal to cater to, at points. The film's overtly optimistic ending seems rather out of place.

But if we are talking about rapes in the name of caste where are the women in the film? Sayani Gupta is fabulous in whatever little we see of her. Her eyes look wretched and you believe that she is actually living the role of a woman who is trying to fight for survival in a cruel world. Yet, there are only tantalising snatches of her. That's it. Ayan's girlfriend Isha Talwar, who is an activist, exists solely to either be upset with him or motivate him, and then again recede into the background.

With regard to acting, there are no complaints, for the most part that is. Ayushmann Khurrana shines in his understated role, though ideally one would have liked to see more of his change of thought rather than a quick jump in his character development. The film has stellar supporting performances from Manoj Pahwa and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub that carry it through.

All said and done, Article 15 might be rough around the edges and might have its fair share of flaws with regard to storytelling, but it is indeed a film to be watched. It's a start. It cannot change society but it at least can initiate a conversation and debate that examines the horrors that lurk in this very society, invisible to our privileged eyes.

3.5 stars out of 5 for Article 15.

WATCH | Ayushmann Khurrana Exclusive: Article 15 does not target only the so-called privileged caste

ALSO READ | What is Article 15?

ALSO READ | Anubhav Sinha's Mulk saw intense love and strong hate. Why Article 15 will be no different

ALSO SEE | Article 15: Ayushmann Khurrana shares hard-hitting video in the spirit of India Vs Pakistan World Cup 2019 match Published By: ananya bhattacharya Published On: Jun 28, 2019 --- ENDS ---

Movie Review: ‘Kinds of Kindness,' Emma Stone’s latest foray into fearlessness with Yorgos Lanthimos

“Kinds of Kindness” is Emma Stone’s third feature collaboration with writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos, and they’re not done

If our world should one day cease to exist, and some improved civilization from another galaxy stumbles upon our popular culture and seeks to understand all the fuss about Emma Stone — well, we now have the film clip they should see.

She’s not even speaking, so translating Earth language won’t be an issue. She’s simply dancing. It’s toward the end of her latest collab with Yorgos Lanthimos , the challenging, intriguing, perplexing-if-not-downright- infuriatingly-opaque “Kinds of Kindness.” Stone is doing an improvised victory dance, and it’s glorious. What’s clear is that the Stone-Lanthimos pairing, in their third feature together, is continuing to nurture an aspect of Stone’s talents that increasingly sets her apart: Her fearlessness and the obvious joy she derives from it.

Then again, it’s possible we especially love this scene because by now we’re parched — thirst is actually a theme of the film, but let’s forget that for a second — for a wee bit of joy. There’s barely an ounce of it in “Kinds of Kindness,” nor is there much beauty (unlike the gorgeous period romps many know Lanthimos best for, “The Favourite” and last year’s sumptuous “Poor Things.”) Nor is there any recognizable kindness to speak of — “recognizable” being the operative word here. Which might be the point of the title. Or not.

So what IS “Kinds of Kindness”? OK, here goes. Lanthimos, working for a fifth time with screenwriter Efthimis Filippou (“The Lobster”), has created a triptych — three mini-films with the same cast. A solidifying troupe of Lanthimos regulars appears, with Willem Dafoe, one of the most distinctive actors in the universe, rejoining Stone’s Bella from “Poor Things,” joined now by a terrific Jesse Plemons, who won the best actor prize at Cannes, as well as Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley, Mamoudou Athie and Joe Alwyn.

These three segments, which together run close to three hours, are separate stories with different characters, and an overarching theme that can best be explained by parsing the lyrics of a Eurythmics song.

“Sweet dreams are made of this,” goes the iconic song, with which Lanthimos begins his movie. Then, more importantly: “Some of them want to use you. Some of them want to get used by you. Some of them want to abuse you. Some of them want to be abused." Yup, all these things happen in “Kinds of Kindness,” a meditation on our free will and the ways we willingly forfeit it to others — in the workplace, at home, and in religion. For all these characters, something about being subjugated by someone else provides a perverse sense of comfort.

In the first segment — easily the tightest, most entertaining and impactful — our protagonist, Robert (Plemons), works for some sort of shady business run by Raymond (Dafoe), who controls everything Robert does.

And we do mean everything. What he eats, drinks, wears, where he lives with his wife — also hand-chosen for him — even what time they have sex, and whether they procreate. Raymond decides it all, and that’s fine with Robert — it even gets him cool gifts, like a smashed John McEnroe racket — until he’s asked to basically commit manslaughter.

He underperforms and is fired. Then, he becomes obsessed with getting back into his boss’ good graces, whatever it takes.

Stone appears 40 minutes into the movie, a cog in the same wheel. But she takes center stage in the next installment, as Liz, beloved wife of Daniel, a suburban cop (Plemons, with shorter and lighter hair). Liz, a scientist, has vanished during a sea voyage — she’s “traveled the world and the seven seas,” to continue with the Eurythmics lyrics.

Finally she's rescued, and returns home to her loving husband. Loving, that is, until Daniel starts suspecting she’s not really Liz (she may also be a cannibal). She sure looks like Liz, but her shoes don't fit. Also, she likes chocolate now and can’t remember Daniel’s favorite song. So, he starts testing her, asking her to do awful things. And for some reason, she does.

We won’t spoil any of the mini-endings, though you may find they’re not really endings anyway. (If the lack of clarity in this review is annoying you, well, welcome to this movie? Should that have been an exclamation point? We’re suddenly feeling insecure even about punctuation.) But the “whoa, what?” feeling you may have at the end of the second part can’t fester, because soon we’re in a cult, where the only liquid members can drink is sanctified by the tears of creepy leader Omi (Dafoe, who else?) and wife Aka (Chau.)

Stone and Plemons reunite here as cult members tasked with finding a woman, out there somewhere, who’s able to raise the dead. For this holy search for a spiritual leader, Emily (is this a nod to Stone's real name?) has left a husband (Alwyn) and young daughter behind. She drives a purple sports car with increasing abandon (speaking of fearless, Stone has said she did much of her stunt driving). But she, too, messes up, and is left begging to be allowed back in.

Will she find what she is looking for?

Well, that depends on whether she knows what it is. Characters here actually seem to find what they THINK they seek — but it leads them, of course, down dark paths. But hey, everybody’s lookin’ for something, the song tells us. Not to be trite, but who are we to disagree?

In any case, seeking a neat conceptual bow to wrap this all up — as in Bella’s satisfying empowerment in “Poor Things” — will lead nowhere. So maybe the best lyric we can take from the Eurythmics is the simplest one of all:

“Keep your head up. Movin’ on."

“Kinds of Kindness,” a Searchlight Pictures release in theaters Friday, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association “for strong/disturbing violent content, strong sexual content, full nudity and language.” Running time: 144 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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‘brats’: andrew mccarthy on why molly ringwald isn’t in brat pack film.

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Actress Molly Ringwald portrait, January 30, 1985 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bob Riha, ... [+] Jr./Getty Images)

Brats documentary director Andrew McCarthy is explaining why fellow Brat Pack stars Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson don’t appear in his new film.

Brats —which features new interviews with Brat Pack actors from such 1980s movie classics as The Breakfast Club , Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire —began streaming on Hulu this week. The film recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

McCarthy—who rose to prominence because of his starring roles in the Brat Pack movies Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire —conducts new interviews with some of his fellow 1980s castmates for Brat .

Among the Brat Pack stars featured in the documentary are Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and Ally Sheedy, as well as fellow ‘80s actors including Jon Cryer ( Pretty in Pink ), Lea Thompson ( Back to the Future ) and Timothy Hutton ( Ordinary People ).

Noticeably absent from Brats , though, are new interviews with Ringwald and Nelson. Both stars appeared in The Breakfast Club , while Ringwald also starred in Sixteen Candles , Pretty in Pink, Fresh Horses and Betsy ’s Wedding .

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McCarthy has an explanation for why neither Ringwald nor Nelson wanted to be interviewed for Brats .

"I mean, they both are in the film in a sense that there's a lot of clips and interviews and things,” McCarthy told Entertainment Tonight . "The Brat Pack is an ongoing relationship, you know what I mean? And some people are at different places in their lives to want to or not want to talk about it. I think that just informs it even more. I mean, that's my takeaway from it."

McCarthy Says Ringwald Got Him Cast in ‘Pretty in Pink’

Andrew McCarthy told Entertainment Tonight that he bears no ill will toward Molly Ringwald or Judd Nelson for declining to participate in Brats .

In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight , McCarthy noted how it was Ringwald who got him the part of her co-lead in the teen romance Pretty in Pink .

Ringwald plays a poor teen, Andie, in Pretty in Pink , while McCarthy plays a rich kid, Blane, who asks her out on a date. Jon Cryer stars as Andie’s friend, Ducky, who is secretly crushing on her. Pretty in Pink was directed by Howard Deutch and written by late 1980s filmmaking legend John Hughes.

“That part was written for a square-jawed, big, hunky, you know, quarterback and Molly got me that part,” McCarthy told ET . “I auditioned and Molly said, ‘Oh, that’s who I would fall for. He’s dreamy. He’s poetic.’ And so John Hughes went, ‘Really? That wimp?'”

McCarthy also interviews writer David Blum in Brats. Blum is credited for coining the name “Brat Pack” after using it in a mid-1980s article he wrote for New York Magazine .

The Brat Pack name closely resembles the moniker used to describe the classic group of friends known as the “Rat Pack,” which consisted of showbiz legends Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop.

Brats is streaming exclusively on Hulu.

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It Ends with Us First Reactions: Blake Lively Movie Brings 'All the Feelings' — 'I Was a Crying Mess'

Blake Lively and author Colleen Hoover showcased an unfinished version of the film to fans at Book Bonanza 2024 in Texas

Nicole Rivelli

Early reactions to Blake Lively 's It Ends with Us movie are praising the film as an emotional, faithful adaptation of the hit novel.

The actress, 36, attended a surprise screening showcasing an unfinished version of the film at Book Bonanza in Grapevine, Texas, on Saturday, June 15.

Author Colleen Hoover, plus cast members Brandon Sklenar (who plays Atlas) and Isabela Ferrer (who plays young Lily) also appeared at the first-ever screening of the movie, which is in theaters Aug. 9.

Attendees shared their initial reactions on social media afterwards. One fan wrote on Instagram, "I don’t ever go in with high expectations for book to movie adaptations but this one just hits in such an amazing way. I knew what was going to happen but I still went through all the feelings. @blakelively you seriously brought Lily to life."

Another wrote that it is "safe to say yall are going to love this movie!!!!" They added, "All the quotes you are hoping for are delivered so well and the acting is out of this world. couldn’t see anyone else playing these characters!!! As you can tell by the second photo, I was a crying mess...."

One attendee wrote , "I cried. I laughed. It was such an amazing movie and wonderful book adaptation!" And another said , "I cannot wait to see it again."

Eric Charbonneau/Getty

"They gave us tissue packs KNOWING we would need them," wrote one moviegoer on Instagram, adding, "This film is INCREDIBLE!!! The acting. The emotion. Certain challenging scenes performed and edited SO tastefully. It’s so powerful and I firmly believe that it will change and save women’s lives."

Another fan wrote , "guys, they did the book such justice!! I can't wait for everyone to see it."

Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE's Senior Books Editor, attended a screening of the film at Book Bonanza. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Schumer after the film, "When you see something that’s as important to you as this is turned into a movie, you want it to be good. And it exceeded my expectations."

She added, "I loved the really close-ups that showed their emotion. It made it really resonate. It was one book-to-movie adaptation that was almost perfect."

Schumer says of her own experience seeing the film, "As someone who has experienced intimate partner violence, I was really nervous to see  It Ends With Us . I've read the book, of course, and talked to a lot of people about how it was handled on the page, but seeing it onscreen, especially in a crowded theater, is a completely different experience to reading it in private."

"When the 'casserole scene' happened, it took my breath away. And I wasn't the only one: There were audible gasps throughout the theater," she adds. "But as the film went on, I was relieved at how sensitively it was handled."

"I thought the portrayal of everything Lily goes through, the way the other characters react to it, was all spot-on. By the time the lights came up, there wasn't a dry eye in the house."

Jojo Whilden

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Lively stars as Lily Bloom in   It Ends with Us , an adaptation of Hoover's 2016 book that went so viral on TikTok that it inspired a bestselling sequel in 2022. It's directed by Justin Baldoni , who also stars as Ryle Kincaid.

"Lily resonated with an enormous amount of people, as the success of the book made clear," Lively previously told PEOPLE. "Stepping into a character who’s had such a meaningful impact is an honor to take on."

"I loved Lily," she added. "And I hope that love is felt by those who care about her like I do, and also those who are getting to know her for the first time in this film.”

It Ends with Us is in theaters Aug. 9.

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Kevin costner defends ‘selfishly’ casting his son in ‘horizon’ after awful film reviews.

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It’s a family matter. 

Kevin Costner is defending casting his son Hayes in his movie “Horizon: An American Saga,” as the film gets critically panned. 

The “Dances With Wolves” star and director, 69, cast his 15-year-old son as Nathaniel Kittredge in the first of the four-part, Civil War-era Western without an audition.

“I realize there are so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie,” he told the “Today” show on Monday. “And I don’t want to take those parts away from them just ’cause I can place my own children in.”

“Horizon” currently has a rating of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes.

BBC wrote in their scathing review that a movie “needs to have a plot, a bit of credible characterization, and a structure that preferably includes a beginning, middle and end. ‘Horizon’ doesn’t have any of those.”

Variety slammed Costner’s film as “meandering,” and said it “seldom seems to aim in a clear direction,” while IndieWire said, “These aren’t characters so much as the spokes of a plot in human form, each of their storylines moving as if being pulled by horses across the entire span of the American West.”

The Daily Beast’s headline, meanwhile, declared the film “a misogynistic, racist . . . mess” and critic Esther Zuckerman wrote, “I’m not sure why Costner didn’t turn this into the television project it so wishes to be. Perhaps he just wanted to one up ‘Yellowstone,’ the wildly popular Taylor Sheridan show, on which he played John Dutton, and which he decided to leave . But as a cinematic experience it is aggravating in multiple ways.”

Costner has previously spoken about how “Horizon” is his passion project. He directed, co-wrote, produced and stars in the film, and he risked his home to fund it with his own money . 

Set during the pre- and post-Civil War era in the American West, the movie has an ensemble cast including Costner, his son Hayes, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson and Jamie Campbell Bower. 

Costner said about his son, “He’s a beautiful boy, and he’s quiet. And I have not shoved my children into the business.”

Hayes is one of Costner’s seven children. The Oscar winner has Annie, 40, Lily, 37, and Joe, 36, with ex-wife Cindy Silva. He has a son, Liam, 26, with Bridget Rooney. And his three youngest children — Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 13 — are with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, whom he divorced in February after a messy split.  

Costner’s son’s role in “Horizon” required just two weeks of filming, the “Yellowstone” star said. 

“But, in a sense, it was a smaller part,” he explained. “I selfishly wanted him with me for the week, two weeks, he was with me. And we would drive to the set every day, and he would whisper.”

Despite Hayes having no acting experience, Costner praised his son’s performance. 

“He didn’t have a lot of experience, but he’s really beautiful in the movie,” Costner said. 

“It’s a really complicated scene. In the end, there’s a nobility, there’s an absolute fatalness about it. It’s what you don’t want a son to do, and at the end of the day, you’re proud that he would make that choice,” Costner added.

Back in April, the “Yellowstone” star revealed that the character he plays in the film served as inspiration for Hayes’ name.

“I named him after the character I play in this. My character’s name is Hayes Ellison,” he told ET at the time. “And I named Hayes that character. So I was watching him grow up, and I was thinking, ‘Man, I better get with it and make this movie.’ ”

“Horizon: An American Saga” hits theaters June 28. 

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‘Federer: Twelve Final Days’ Review: A Partial Backstage Pass to the Tennis Great’s Retirement Party

Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia’s sports documentary captures plenty of tears and even a little tennis, but Roger Federer deserves a more probing portrait.

By Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker

Senior Features Writer

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For fans, this handsomely-mounted film’s level of access will be enticement enough, and its emotional peaks are undeniably stirring. But its limited scope and curious demureness prevent it from offering the full-scale portrait that a figure like Federer deserves.

As even-keeled, stately, respectful and, frankly, sometimes a tad boring as the film can be, Federer is a reasonably forthcoming subject, and less prone to bloodless sports clichés and diplomatic niceties than one might expect. He’s quite eloquent when discussing how, for elite athletes, dealing with retirement is sort of a test-run for confronting death, and his reflections on the injuries that brought his quarter-century career to an early close feel remarkably honest. For all his buttoned-down reputation, he makes for consistently intriguing company. It’s just that the circumstances surrounding him here don’t offer much in the way of conflict or urgency.

Proceeding chronologically through those final dozen days, “Federer” begins with a strangely long procedural glimpse of the tennis PR machine in full whirl, as Federer and his family record a farewell message announcing his retirement, then sweat over the details in the hours before it posts on social media. (Will the news leak? Will Federer forget to notify someone important beforehand? Why is Anna Wintour calling all of the sudden?) Once word is finally out, the focus shifts to preparations for Federer’s swan-song: a doubles match at the newly-minted Laver Cup tournament in London.

The tournament setting gives Kapadia and Sabia a natural way to introduce the major figures from Federer’s professional life, each of whom roll into London one-by-one and get a bit of “This Is Your Life” face time. Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and the tournament’s namesake Rod Laver are all present to represent the old guard, but the real focus is on Federer’s trio of longtime rivals: low-key Brit Andy Murray, mischievous Serbian Novak Djokovic and Spanish great Rafael Nadal.

While Federer clearly admires both Djokovic and Murray, it’s his relationship with Nadal that gives the film its most touching moments. First emerging as Federer’s potential young usurper, Nadal subsequently became his greatest rival, and eventually the pair developed what seems to be a genuinely deep friendship. They have a fascinating rapport — with Nadal the more openly emotional of the two — and display the uncanny sort of intimacy that can only be forged through years of head-to-head competition. “Tennis is not a contact sport,” Federer says while reminiscing on his matches against Nadal, “but we almost touch each other through the ball.”

Nonetheless, for all the film’s access, one is always aware of how much of Federer’s story remains untapped here. In one mid-film training session, Murray asks Federer how he’s holding up amidst all the hoopla, to which Federer gives him a knowing smile and says, “we’ll talk later.” Maybe someday Federer will let us into those conversations — until then, all we have is silence itself.

Reviewed online, June 15, 2024. In Tribeca Festival (Spotlight Documentary). Running time: 88 MIN.

• Production: (Documentary) A Prime Video Sports release and presentation of a Lafcadia Prods. production. Producers: Asif Kapadia, George Chignell.
• Crew: Directors: Asif Kapadia, Joe Sabia. Camera: Jess Dunlap, Sabia. Editor: Avdhesh Mohla. Music: Dario Marianelli.
• With: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Mirka Federer, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Rod Laver. (English, French, German dialogue)

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The 15th Doctor Will See You Now

In his first season leading “Doctor Who,” Ncuti Gatwa has brought charisma, emotion and even more camp to the long-running sci-fi show.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it,” Ncuti Gatwa said of the titular role in “Doctor Who.” “British casting has taken a long time to diversify — why would it be now, and why me?” Credit... Kemka Ajoku for The New York Times

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By Roslyn Sulcas

Roslyn Sulcas met Ncuti Gatwa in London, and visited the “Doctor Who” set in Cardiff, Wales.

• Published June 15, 2024 Updated June 18, 2024, 10:44 a.m. ET

“Give-ING! That dress is giving!” said Ncuti Gatwa with a burst of unbridled laughter. The newest Doctor Who had been shooting the same scene for several hours in Cardiff, Wales, where hangar-like spaces were teeming with crew and filled with sets and equipment for the show. (Yes, Whovians, the TARDIS was parked nearby.) Now, at the director’s request, the new Doctor was improvising.

Gatwa (whose first name is pronounced “Shoo-ti”) laughs a lot, often at himself. “Why do I keep moving this footstool?” he asked a few minutes later as he tried to get into position for yet another take. “Because the art department isn’t here to do it for you,” teased Varada Sethu, who joins the Doctor and his current companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) for some adventures in Gatwa’s second season. “I have to do everything myself!” cried Gatwa in a mock-tragic tone, before another eruption of mirth.

Born in Rwanda and raised in Scotland, Gatwa, 31, made his name playing the effervescent Eric in Netflix’s “ Sex Education .” But the lead role in “Doctor Who,” a British institution about a time-traveling alien and his human companion that has been a BBC stalwart for 60 years, has taken him to another level of fame.

(Conveniently, the doctor periodically dies and is regenerated in a different physical form; Gatwa is the 15th Doctor, following Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker .)

The show — which first ran between 1963 and 1989 — was revived in 2005 and today has an exceptionally diverse, intergenerational fan base . But the current season, which ends on June 21, has ushered in a new era for the show, with Disney+ now a co-producer alongside the BBC and Gatwa the show’s first Black lead actor, with a distinctly fabulous vibe.

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Lauren Goode

Review: Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

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If you’ve found your way to this review, you’ve probably already decided you don’t want to spend more than $1,000 on an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. You don’t find metallurgical advances alluring, you don’t care about an extra Action Button, and you don’t fancy yourself a budding filmmaker—pardon me, content creator—who at any moment might go viral. You’re a normie, and you own it.

You don’t want to fall in love with your phone. You just want an iPhone, preferably one with a battery that raves late into the night and a camera that snaps better photos in that dying light.

So, sure, the iPhone 15: Why not?

The iPhone 15 ($799) is a very good phone. Apple always does a fine job differentiating just enough between old phones and new phones to make you want to upgrade. Is the iPhone 15 more advanced than last year’s iPhone 14 ($699)? Yes. Are the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which start at $999 and feature Apple’s newest chip system, more advanced than the iPhone 15? Yes. But the gap between last year’s iPhone 14 Pro ($899) and the new iPhone 15 is a slim one. In some aspects the iPhone 14 Pro is even a better phone, so if you’re long overdue for an upgrade and don’t care about the addition of USB-C in the new phone, you might want to seek out the 14 Pro.

There are some Apple-y things that make the iPhone 15 stand out from the iPhone 14 not -Pro: The 15 has a “color-infused glass back” and an improved “Photonic Engine.” It has a “Dynamic Island,” an animated widget bar at the top of the display. If you were to ask Apple, “Who is the iPhone 15 for, exactly?” the folks in the marketing department there might respond with something like, “We think people are going to love this phone!” It’s my job to tell you, though, you don’t need to love your phone. You just need it to do a good job.

Let’s first address the Serial Bus in the room: The new iPhone 15 (and 15 Plus and 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max) support USB-C instead of Lightning. This is mostly great. A round of applause for the European Union for forcing Apple’s hand on this.

USB-C is great when you’re charging lots of other USB-C gadgets as part of your daily routine, like if you work on a newer MacBook laptop or iPad. Over the past five days, whenever the iPhone 15 loaner I’ve been testing hit its low battery mark, I was able to unplug the USB-C charger from my MacBook Pro and just pop it into the phone. Brilliant! Except when I was using navigation on the iPhone 15 during a long car ride, and with just 4 percent battery left, realized that the USB-A to Lightning cable I keep in my car was absolutely useless. (I found my way home, and made a note to order yet another cable.)

You should also know that not all USB-C cables and adapters are the same. The iPhone 15 ships with a short USB-C to USB-C cable, but no charging block. The iPhone 15 also supports USB-2, which means transfer speeds are limited to 480 megabits per second, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max support USB-3, and therefore data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second.

There's a new ultra-wideband chip in the phone that improves its location-sensing abilities.

So, for fast charging and the best possible data transfer speeds on an iPhone 15, you’ll want at least a 20-watt USB charging adapter, which Apple sells for $19 . Using a 20-W adapter, your phone’s battery will charge up to 50 percent in around 30 minutes. But again, I found it much more convenient to plug my phone into the same cable and 67-W power adapter I use to charge my MacBook, which took my iPhone 15 from 10 percent to 50 percent in just under 20 minutes.

Speaking of battery: The iPhone 15 gave less “range anxiety” than what I normally experience using the iPhone 13 Pro, and it just about matches the iPhone 14 in terms of its battery life claim. During at least one charge cycle, the iPhone 15 lasted from my 10 am meeting until around 8 am the following day, and that was with a heavy dose of Spotify, maps, phone calls, texting, and some social media browsing. The larger model, the iPhone 15 Plus, will get about 30 percent more battery than the base model, though that's just what Apple claims and I wasn't able to test that model. Apple also claims the iPhone 14 Pro has a longer battery life than the iPhone 15, but again, Apple would rather you forget that phone exists.

There are also new SOS calling features for emergencies, including roadside assistance for US iPhone owners. I didn't review these because my Jeep miraculously did not break down while I was testing the phone.

Just as a note, I’m testing the pink iPhone 15. This was not my choice. The color-infused camera module on the back looks nice, but if I owned this thing I’d soon be slapping a case on it anyway. This phone is also not titanium; you’ll have to splurge for a Pro model to get that upgrade.

That camera module on the back of the iPhone 15 includes just two lenses; the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have Apple’s triple-lens Pro camera system. Even more crucial to the camera’s performance than the outward-facing lenses is the phone’s chipset: The iPhone 15 is powered by Apple’s A16 Bionic chip (same as the iPhone 14 Pro, again!), while the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max phones have the most up-to-date chipset, the A17 Bionic.

There is no doubt that the Pro models of the iPhone 15 capture better photos and videos. The chip is that much more powerful, the image sensor that much larger, and you can read Julian Chokkattu’s review for a sense of how much nicer your photos will be if you buy the iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Also, how much more storage space your photos and videos will take up.

My photo comparisons were primarily between the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 15, and an occasional Google Pixel 6 Pro photo for good measure. The pics I took on the iPhone 15 looked dramatically better than the ones captured on the iPhone 13 Pro — the 15 captured more detail and truer colors, had better exposure control, and didn’t lag at all when shooting in lower-light settings.

Depending on the scene, it was difficult to tell the difference between images captured on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models (especially the iPhone 14 Pro) and the iPhone 15 camera. An iPhone 15 photo of a plate of wagyu beef at a dimly lit hot pot restaurant showed greater dynamic range and more detail than the same pic taken on the iPhone 14. During a sunset photo shoot at my go-to beach, which featured a scarf of fog—San Francisco’s favorite accessory—I noticed that the iPhone 14 image looked slightly more blown out than the sunset captured on the iPhone 15. But my friend’s iPhone 14 Pro photos? Looked the same, if not better, than my iPhone 15 #sunset pics.

The entire camera system on the iPhone 15 does offer more granular control over your photos than the iPhone 14 does, even if some of the resulting images aren’t stunningly better than the prior generation’s. The biggest update is that the iPhone 15 has the ability to capture both 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel images, which can be preset under “Resolution Control” in your phone’s camera settings. But this feature is optimized for shooting at 1X in decent light, whereas if you shoot at .5X or ultrawide, the camera will default back to 12-megapixel captures.

The iPhone 15 now has an additional 2X optical zoom option; the iPhone 14 only offered .5 and 1X zooms. Portrait mode on the iPhone 15 can be activated automatically when the camera detects a portrait-worthy image, though in my experience, the iPhone 15 has yet to deem any of my subjects worthy of portraiture. Also, in Portrait mode, you can now control the depth of the image and zoom out to capture even more data from the scene. This is admittedly a nice feature add.

Still, real photography nerds are going to want to go bigger.

All new iPhones are going to ship running iOS 17, and—good news—your old iPhone can now run it too. We’ve assembled a round-up of our top features , including my new favorite, transcribed voice notes in messages, and improved autocorrect, which allowed me to write “f*cking A!” to my editor in Slack and did not change it to “ducking.”

StandBy mode also turns your iPhone into a smart tablet of sorts when you turn it on its side, lock it, and prop it up on a compatible charging dock.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Dynamic Island, which is as much of a hardware feature as it is a software feature, because of the way Apple reengineers the front-facing camera module to make Dynamic Island work. This was previously available on iPhone 14 Pro phones, and now it’s on the 15. It is basically a widget. But a live, clickable one. It uses that real estate at the top of the phone to show you what song is playing on Spotify, your timer countdowns, the status of your Uber ride. My experience with Dynamic Island was limited before using the iPhone 15, and I’m surprised to say I sort of love it.

OK, love is a strong word. No one should really love a phone. I like the iPhone 15. Let’s leave it at that.

Update, September 19 at noon EDT: The story was updated to correct some price and model number information for older iPhones that was incorrect.