Article 15: Temporary ban on Ayushmann Khurrana's social drama revoked in Roorkee

The ban on the screening of Bollywood movie Article 15 , which deals with casteism, was revoked in Roorkee town of Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district on Wednesday, an official said.

In a letter to the manager of R R Cinema, where the screening of the movie was stopped, Roorkee sub-divisional magistrate Ravindra Singh said the temporary ban had been revoked.

Singh asked the cinema hall management to inform the police and the administration if they perceive any threat to law and order due to the screening of the film.

The restriction was imposed after fringe outfits like the Hindu Sena approached the administration and alleged that the movie had “maligned” a particular community.

Director-producer Anubhav Sinha had even taken to Twitter and said, “Seeking legal action. The film has been received well by both audience and critics. It has apparently earned Rs over 31 crore globally.. Will challenge it in the court.”

Ahead of its release, certain  Brahmin outfits  had alleged that the film maligns their community by portraying its members in a negative light. Members of various Brahmin organisations like Akhil Bhartiya Brahmin Ekta Parishad, Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha, Parshuram Sarva Kalyan and Brahmin Mahasabha raised slogans against the actors and the producer  and defaced the posters of the film.

A day before the release of the film, Anubhav had also issused an  open letter , reassuring the Hindu outfits that his film does not ‘disrespect’ the Brahmin community. Written entirely in Hindi,  he said that a film’s intention is never to disrespect a society and  one should not judge a film from its trailer.

The social thriller, starring actor Ayushmann Khurrana, revolves around the brutal gang-rape and murder of two girls in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district in 2014.

The film offers a realistic take on Article 15 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

(With inputs from agencies)