Tag Archives: Article 15

Best Hindi Films of 2019 on Netflix and Prime

Article 15 (Netflix)

You can’t go wrong with Anubhav Sinha’s crime drama Article 15, with box office magnet Ayushmann Khurrana. City-bred and conscientious, Khurrana plays Ayan Ranjan, an Additional Superintendent of Police in Laalgaon, a small village, which operates eerily in an oppressive, caste-dominated political setup. Ayan faces resistance from Day 1 as he gets embroiled in the rape and disappearance of two Dalit girls and takes on the caste system trying to trace clues and solve the mystery. With a fantastic supporting cast and performances, Khurrana shines. Although grim and gritty, it’s also heartening and reaffirming. Keep a warm chai or a stiff drink within reach. Rating: 5 out of 5

Gully Boy (Prime)

Hell yes, Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, which released February 14, soared sky high this year. A perfect Friday night or weekend watch for a kick of fun and energy. The movie pays an ode to real-life Indian street rappers Divine and Naezy and is filled with textured, crackling characters to the brim. Ranveer Singh‘s Murad, an aspiring street rapper from Dharavi, the slums of Mumbai, finds his professional voice after meeting a local rapper Shrikant aka MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi). Street hustler Moeen (Vijay Varma), failing father Aftab (Vijay Raaz) hang on the sideline. Witness some wonderful and varied women create magic, Albina Dadarkar (Srishti Shrivastava), Razia Ahmed (Amruta Subhash) and Alia Bhatt‘s Safeena Firdausi. The writing, direction, and music shines bright. The angst and aspiration speak loud with a deft rhythm and foot-tapping emotions. Dive in and be dazzled. Rating: 5 out of 5

Section 375 (Prime)

Like it or loathe it, Section 375, a September 12 release, is one for the watch list. A filmmaker Rohan Khurrana (Rahul Bhatt) is arrested when a costume assistant Anjali Dangle (Meera Chopra) accuses him of rape. The movie plays out in a courtroom, setting the stage for Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) to step in and defend the accused while Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chaddha) fights for the survivor. There are compelling arguments and pertinent legal information. Both points of view are represented well until the final tilt and twist, which divides the audience. Talks about law vs justice appear futile when one thinks about the responsibility of the makers towards a society that is unfair to a majority of women. Does presenting the oppressed gender as oppressor work for or against the rape problem? You decide. Rating: 4 out of 5

Badla (Netflix)

A perfect movie to watch on a day when you don’t know what to do. Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu face off yet again in Badla, which released on March 8. They play Naina Sethi and Badal Gupta. She is a sharp businesswoman and he is an effective defense attorney. She faces a murder charge and narrates her side of the story, he tries to find loopholes so that he can defend her in court. The victims are her secret lover, Arjun (Tony Luke), and a stranger Sunny (Antonio Aakeel) whose mother is Rani Kaur (Amrita Singh). The treatment is like a chess game, but predictable. The ending is too convenient, but the performances and drama keep the narrative on point, making it a compelling view. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Manikarnika (Prime)

Take a ride into herstory with Manikarnika which caused much controversy when it was released January 25, it’s fiercely outspoken leading actor Kangana Ranaut had a lot to say off camera about her decision to co-direct the movie. Nevertheless, Ranaut’s on-camera performance is glorious as she pays homage to Rani Lakshmibai from the first frame to the blazing end comparable to Nargis in Mother India. The movie methodically unravels the mardaani perception by focusing on the woman within and steers clear of ostentatious drama and emotion, striking a fine balance between fiction and facts and retaining Rani Laxmibai’s identity as well as the fervor of the freedom movement. The narrative is simple and stays with her journey. It’s a winner. Rating: 5 out of 5

Hamida Parkar is a freelance journalist and founder-editor of cinemaspotter.com. She writes on cinema, culture, women, and social equity.

This article was originally published on November 23, 2019 and was edited by Culture and Media Editor, Geetika Pathania Jain.

 

Top 10 Hindi Movies of 2019

It was a year for the creative and the restless in Hindi cinema as filmmakers told inspirational stories which balanced reality and fantasy in equal measure. Innovation won and we had some brilliant winners in the process.  Here are my top 10 picks for 2019.

1. Soni

This Netflix movie quietly and softly won hearts. Ivan Ayr spent significant time watching female police officials go about their jobs, the result shines in every frame of Soni. He also hired Kimsi Singh, his own producer to get a female perspective on the first draft of his story. It shows. It is a compelling glimpse into why India is unable to free itself from its pervading rape culture, without even showing a rape.

Rating: 5 out of 5

2. Gully Boy

A giant response from director Zoya Akhtar to her critics. She does slums as funky as the high-brow movies. Gully Boy soared sky high.  The movie paid an ode to real-life Indian street rappers Divine and Naezy and was filled with textured, crackling characters to the brim.  The writing, direction and music shone bright. The angst and aspiration speak loud with a deft rhythm and foot-tapping emotions. Dive in and be dazzled. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

3. Article 15

You can’t go wrong with Anubhav Sinha’s crime drama Article 15. Laalgaon, a small village, operates eerily in an oppressive, caste-dominated political setup. New ACP Ayan ( golden boy Ayushmann Khurrana) faces resistance as he attempts to investigate the rape and disappearance of two Dalit girls, taking on the caste system as he tries to trace the clues. Although grim and gritty, it’s also heartening and reaffirming.

Rating: 5 out of 5

4. Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota 

Director Vasan Bala creates a wonderful fantasy world inspired by his childhood of karate classes, tributes to various movies including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan et al, and a real life story. The lead character has Congenital insensitivity to pain and goes on a mission to conquer his foes. Giving him a fight on an equal footing is his childhood friend and girlfriend. If you adore movies, this is a rockstar of a movie that you do not want to miss.

Rating: 5 out of 5

5. Laal Kaptaan

Navdeep Singh unites Saif Ali Khan and Deepak Dobriyal to satisfying results, with the historical Battle of Buxar as the backdrop. A ferocious Naga Sadhu is hungry for mukti aka salvation by exacting revenge while Deepak Dobriyal guides him with an acute sense of smell. The movie burns slowly and surely to create a fascinating human tale filled with adventure, sorrow and a sense of loss. It didn’t get the success it deserved but that doesn’t take away from its genius.

Rating: 4 out of 5

6. Sonchiriya

Set in 1970, Sonchiriya captures the ravines of Chambal with assured confidence as it captures a group of dacoits and their anguish with grit and determination – they fight to exist with caste, gender, masculinity and patriarchal issues. Abhishek Chaubey’s taut, tense and masterly narrative shines, aided by a superb cast and crackling performances.

Rating: 4 out of 5

7. Judgementall Hai Kya

Prakash Kovelamudi’s  Judgementall Hai Kya tackles complex themes of domestic violence and mental illness aided by black humour at every jump and turn in the dark narrative. The fact that Kanika Dhillon pens this quirky whodunit with a conscience makes it all the more delicious. Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao don’t play one false note and hold the movie together with panache. The film deserves applause for its quirkiness and over delivering on its thriller template.

Rating: 4 out of 5

8. Section 375

Like it or loathe it, Ajay Bahl’s Section 375 is one for the watch list. A filmmaker is arrested when a costume assistant accuses him of rape. The movie plays out in a courtroom, setting the stage for defense lawyer Tarun Saluja (Akshaye Khanna) and Hiral Gandhi (Richa Chaddha) who fights for the survivor. Both points of view are represented well until the final tilt and twist, which divides the audience. Talks about law vs justice appear futile when one thinks about the responsibility of the makers towards a society that is unfair to a majority of women. Does presenting the oppressed gender as oppressor work for or against the rape problem? You decide.

Rating: 4 out of 5

9. Bala

With Bala, Amar Kaushik delivered a superb take on how the concept of beauty affects a man who lives with alopecia (baldness). It’s funny, it’s warm, it’s empathetic. Although, it’s mainly Ayushmann Khurana’s story and he is excellent, Bhumi Pednekar and Yami Gautam make their presence felt and heard with strong turns.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

10. War 

War is a slick and sassy masala action entertainer. Hrithik Roshan hangs from the sky, breathtaking, suspending our jaws in disbelief. Tiger Shroff conquers the ground with his moves and strikes. Watching them in tandem kicking, dancing and firing guns is a lesson in balance and coordination. When a Hindi movie delivers on action, entertainment and superstars, the question about story and authenticity is automatically moot. Siddharth Anand directed this box office bonanza.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Hamida Parkar is a freelance journalist and founder-editor of cinemaspotter.com. She writes on cinema, culture, women and social equity.

Jumping Into Muck: Article 15 Takes on Caste

The hot sams (samosas) are for Rs. 4. It’s not a canteen. It’s a cafe. At the cafe at St. Stephen’s college in Delhi University, you might be asked to zap the chap (chapati). Denizens of this elite college can be heard discussing the G-jams (gulab jamuns) in Carol Gardens (yes, Karol Bagh for the rest of you.) And writing the IAS examinations that propel students into the elite cadre of administrators is de riguer. (But hold that thought about the Rs. 4 samosa).

Because this is the rarefied environment from which has emerged police officer Ayan Ranjan (played by an English-swearing Ayushmann Khurana) in Article 15. Ranjan is sent to Lalganj, as deputy-Chief of district police, as penance for saying “cool, sir” to a senior officer. This film could have gone in the direction of English, August: An Indian Story (1988) by Upamanyu Chatterjee that described the ennui and maladjustment of a self-absorbed Indian civil servant when he is posted in the hinterland.

Instead, it is more a crime thriller like Mississipi Burning, with stark shots by cinematographer Ewan Mulligan of two young dalit girls swinging lifeless from a tree. The lynching victims, Ranjan finds out, had the audacity to ask for a raise in their daily wages for Rs. 3 (less than that samosa in St. Stephen’s cafe.) The film is a chilling indictment of a complicit bureaucracy to a Hall of Shame. Film director Anubhav Sinha has closely paralleled multiple true events including 2014 Badaun gang rape allegations and 2016 Una flogging incident in the film. The title is a reference to Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of caste. 

The stellar Ayushman Khurana, who has been playing the role of the slightly defective ordinary Indian guy next door, is believable in the film, if slightly less anglicised than that chap-zapping Stephanian. Manoj Pahwa does justice to a negative role as a sinister double-chinned thulla (or mama) (or cop). Sayani Gupta and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub shine as dalits who clearly see oppression, but are powerless against an entrenched system. 

A haunting image in the film is of a man jumping into a manhole and emerging from a full body dubki (dunk) into sewage. Footage of garbage piling up as dalits refuse to be treated as trash sends a clear message. Time for some upper caste brown sahibs and memsahibs to jump into the muck. Any takers?

Article 15 (2019). Director: Anubhav Sinha; Writers: Anubhav Sinha, Gaurav Solanki. Players: Ayushmann Khurrana, Isha Talwar, Manoj Pahwa. Producer: Sagar Shirgaonkar. Cinematographer: Ewan Mulligan. Production companies: Benaras Mediaworks and Zee Studios.

Geetika Pathania Jain is Culture and Media Editor at India Currents.