COURTROOM DRAMA 5 : ARTICLE 15

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Sewerage treatment worker. Copyright belongs to owner. Photo not a part of the film. 

Article 15 is movie about an Indian man (Ayan) learned locally but mostly spend his time in Europe, joined civil services now practicing as an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) only because his father asked to. He is placed on his civil services on a rural area (Laalgaon in Uttar Pradesh) where he is met with an incident, two girls being hanged on a tree. Other police officers are inclined to close the case as "honor killing" by framing the girls acting as lesbians heavily influenced by social media. The fathers of the children were later arrested for random charges. The doctor who was in charged of the postmortem reports indeed found out that the girls were repeatedly gang-raped then hanged alive; the true story. 

Ayan's wife Aditi is an activist and is a person aware of law. The pair often gets into small quarrels at the initial stage of his placement. The pair gets into quarrel of how should justice be delivered. Aditi is of her strongest opinions that the matter should be publicized immediately whereas the Ayan seems to be under the control of law and order. He continues choose to follow procedures.

Problems get inclined when he refuses to sign and close the case under honor killing, especially under "silent" duress. He later in his investigations finds not two girls involved but three kids. The third girl, Pooja went missing and her body yet to be found from the last place a clue was found; Pooja's pink slipper in a swamp. 

The movie mostly deals with the inequality of scheduled castes and Dalits. This is indeed the reason why the girls were gang-raped and killed simply because the girls refused to work for 25 rupees instead of 28-ruppes. A demand in the increase of 3 rupees for the labour to her employers got a slap at her cheeks. After the dishonor some kids belonging to the same caste left and refused to work for the employer. 

I found the movie has two powerful scenes which I would like to share and highlight.

1. A conversation between the police officers. 

Ayan would try to educate the officers by asking questions of which caste they each belong. Others would inform their castes and explain how does it makes them superiors one above another, if they are from one of scheduled caste, and how it differentiate them from the core Dalits. He also asks if the politician is a bhramin and if he himself a brahmin and both are equal by then. The officers would answer, the politician is indeed more superior than the officer if compared in sublevel of bhramin castes. Dissatisfied with the officer's lack of understanding the rotten practice among themselves he shouts "What the fuck is happening here?!"

One of the dalit officers, (Jatav) hears him; quickly sips his chai and moves away. Another officer would track him down and ask him why he left the conversation. Jatav replies "he ask to go right? fuck means go right?"

Watch here: https://youtu.be/iZubgBGeyvo?si=MS3mKqVFHQzBb3zw

This scene explains Jatav being Dalits still does not comprehends the problem but rather reacts to being submissive when being confronted. At later part of the story Jatav realizes on of his superiors (Brahmadatt), is also one of the person raped the hanged children. Jatav arrests Brahmadatt. Brahmadatt exaggerated says he is unfaithful because Jatav forgot it was Brahmadatt was whom got Jatav this police job from being Jatav a sweeper in a school. Jatav then slaps Brahmadatt and says "for how long do I need to be a sweeper?".

2. A conversation between police and radicals.

Nishad is the dalit society's representative. Nishad will protest against the politician's Bhrahmin-Dalit equality rallies. It is because it was only an eyewash for the public as the elections were near. After Nishad instructed no dalits should work for the goverment officals, none did. Infact, there were incidents of dumping rubbish infront of police station and the overflowing of sewerage waters. This is because all sanitary workers were striking against the officials. At meeting of Nishad, Ayan informs Pooja's last piece of evidence traken down. Nishad would later regain his trust on Ayan. 

Watch here : https://youtu.be/o8yToSetY3c?si=4UwGb-fc33E2oy6i

At the climax, Pooja will be hiding in a deep forest inside of an concrete cement pipe. For me as an audience I find that Pooja is the highest hope of all. She would have been holding into her without food and water for good amount of time.

I also noticed that all people will be in our way as barriers. One should know that the protest is not with these people or with the system but to beat the pressure arising from them. Uniformed people are in the position to answer their superiors, maybe not lawyers but lawyers have no special powers because we are not in the execution department. Our only playground is the courtroom. The real privilege is to beat the pressure by stating out facts and to hope. 

Johor Bahru

23.03.2026