Anubhav Sinha directorial Article 15, which talks about caste discrimination in India, is facing backlashes from Karni Sena and Brahmin Maha Sangh, who has issued a warning to the filmmaker for causing “communal disharmony”.
Karni Sena and Brahmin Maha Sangh leaders hosted a press conference here in Mumbai to issue a 48 hours ultimatum to the filmmaker before they do the unthinkable.
During the press conference Pankaj Joshi, chairman of Brahmin Mana Sangh said, “I am warning filmmaker Anubhav Sinha that this film should be banned and Brahmins name should be removed within 48 hours, or else we will enter his office and whatever happens next, is not our responsibility”
The fringe group Karni Sena and religious group Brahmin Maha Sangh have joined forces to ban the film as it shows Brahmin’s in bad light.
Further adding, Pankaj said, “I am hosting this press conference today because there is this film, Article 15, which is releasing on 28th June 2019. This film is based on a rape case which took place in Uttar Pradesh, directed by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Zee Films”
“Now our objection is this, the people who committed his crime and the people with whom this crime took place, are from the same community, they are OBC, not Brahmins. They have insulted us by using our community’s name. We Brahmins perform rituals, pooja and other things related to temple and they are showing us in bad light”
“If you have the freedom of expression, then show the real community and people from the communities who committed the crime. Why are Brahmins dragged into all this?”
Further adding, he said, “After media, Indian cinema is a powerful medium, whatever you show, it remain with people forever. They are trying to cause communal disharmony. And to make matter worse, the makers have shown that the victim in this film belongs to lower caste, which is not true, they are OBC. So they are degrading lower caste people as well, they are causing communal disharmony. They are trying to break Hindu Society. We have had problems with other caste and communities and the makers of the film are trying to re-ignite the hate among us”
The film is written by Gaurav Solanki and Anubhav Sinha. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Isha Talwar, Sayani Gupta, Kumud Mishra and Manoj Pahwa.
Article 15 takes inspiration from true life events, including 2014 Badaun gang rape allegations and 2016 Una flogging incident. It is scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on 28 June.
