Ayushmann Khurrana plays a ‘Brahmin saviour’: Decoding why Article 15 is so dicey

Article 15 brings into sharp focus the brutal persistence of caste-based discrimination in India, using a fictional police investigation to highlight the systemic oppression faced by marginalized communities. Titled after the constitutional provision that prohibits discrimination on grounds of caste, religion, race, sex, or place of birth, the film lays bare the contradictions between constitutional ideals and ground realities, especially in rural India.

Drawing from real-life events like the Badaun gang-rape case, the film presents a scathing indictment of caste hierarchies that continue to thrive beneath the surface of modern India. It does not merely portray the social divide – it exposes the complicity of institutions and the indifference of those in power. The urban-rural disconnect is also starkly portrayed, as characters struggle to reconcile their privilege with the everyday horrors of caste violence.

Despite the constitutional guarantees of equality, Dalits and other oppressed groups remain victims of deep-rooted bias, both social and institutional. The story underscores how symbolic legal protections often fail without active enforcement and societal commitment. Cinema, when used as a medium of social conscience, can provoke not just empathy but also accountability – a call to return to the values enshrined in the Constitution.

As Arjit Benjamin notes, Article 15 serves as a reminder that the Constitution is not merely a document but a mission – a living promise to dismantle centuries of oppression and exclusion. For this promise to hold meaning, Article 15 must move beyond the statute book and become a lived reality. This calls for vigilance, awareness, and the courage to speak – through cinema, through courts, and through collective civic engagement.