Article 370 highlights the government scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as a masterclass in statecraft. Aditya Dhar’s political drama starring Yami Gautam and Priyamani in the lead roles, hit the theatres today, sparking immense anticipation among fans.
Set in six chapters between 2015 and 2019, the film tries to tell the distressing tale of how Kashmir has always been betrayed by politicians and leaders. To keep themselves in authority, they have allowed radicalization, and continue to brainwash the youth into making them stone pelters and hail the call for ‘Azaadi’.
Arun Govil and Kiran Karmarkar, in the roles of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah respectively, seem to be the only ministers with a heart in the course of the film. Jawaharlal Nehru too hasn’t been spared as the Ajay Devgn -narrated introduction blames the first prime minister for the ‘blunder’ in Kashmir.
Table of Contents
Article 370: What the movie is about
Article 370 is a blended lesson in history packaged as a thrilling tale. Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s polished puff piece about the Union government’s overturning of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under the Constitution is strewn with secretive plans and decoys.
The prize is Kashmir, which, the audience is repeatedly told, has been betrayed over the last 70 years. Intelligence agent Zooni Haksar played by Yami Gautam, who is posted in Kashmir, joins forces with Rajeshwari Swaminathan played by Priyamani to lay the groundwork for the decision on Article 370.
Events unravel from 2017 to 2019, between the PMO imperium and Kashmir, shown as a nursery of corrupt politicians, separatists indebted to Pakistan and hired stone-pelters. Zooni manages to capture no less than the militant Burhan Wani, but is hauled up for not following protocol rules. When Zooni is summoned by Rajeshwari to lead a National Intelligence Agency mission, she sets about her task with incredible efficiency.
Both the women are a million steps ahead of their peers. It is rather Zooni who delivers the coup de grace to terrorists, instead of her Central Reserve Police Force colleagues. Similarly, it is Rajeshwari, rather than a state-appointed legal team, who discovers an important clause that allows the government to have its way in Parliament.
Aditya Dhar who was also the maker of Uri: The Surgical Strike released the movie three months before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On a similar vein, Article 370, itself arrived just a couple months before this year’s big election, is deeply integrated to its propaganda value.
With everybody else doing their job in an electoral democracy – from journalists to opposition political leaders – treated with disdain, the responsibility of carrying the political drama rests on its actors. The narrative is swift and suspenseful, which informs structured performances and disguises the intent of several scenes. The first one hour of the movie is tight and captivating like any espionage movie, before giving way for many heart-thumping scenes portraying the Union government’s resolute leadership.
The screenplay is gripping and moves at a supremely fast pace, making sure that the viewers remain glued to their seats from start to finish. The narrative tactfully covers all the major highlight points leading up to the abrogation, including the killing of the terrorist Burhan Wani, the Pulwama attack, complex legal processes involved and a few more shocking events.
The movie is a high-voltage political drama that revolves around the takedown of terrorism in Kashmir by rendering Article 370 of the Constitution ineffective. Movies made on Kashmir as the epicentre are abundant in Bollywood, however this Yami and Priyamani starrer, will undoubtedly feature among the best ones out of the lot.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/6Pf6RUmq7S0?si=Q7PI7FjdjktbKYd4
