Ayushmann Khurrana on Article 15 being called anti-Brahmin: Does not show any community in bad light

Ayushmann Khurrana, who plays a policeman in the upcoming thriller Article 15 , has said that the film does not malign any community. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film is a commentary on the caste system prevalent in the country and had previously drawn ire from the Brahmin community  in Uttar Pradesh.

“I have noticed that there is a lot of controversy around Article 15. I would like to maintain to everyone who is protesting and claiming that the film is anti-Brahmin, please see it. Our film does not take any sides, has no intention to showcase any community in bad light and it has been censored by the censor board who have their own set of guidelines of seeing a film,” Khurrana said in a statement, according to India Today .

The actor added that Article 15 is a “content-driven film on the subject of discrimination.” He said that it is an amalgamation of a series of events that took place in the country. Khurrana also urged the audience to watch Article 15 without making any assumptions about the director’s intent.

The film is  reportedly  loosely based on the 2014 Badaun rape case, where two girls were gangraped and hanged to death from a tree.

“If the film is based on the Badaun incident, where was the need to turn the accused into Brahmins? It is obvious that the intention is to malign the Brahmin community. We have started creating awareness about the issue and we will not allow the film to release here,” said Kushal Tiwari, a student leader from the UP-based outfit Parshuram Sena had previously told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).

Isha Talwar, Sayani Gupta, Kumud Mishra, M Nassar, Ashish Verma, Sushil Pandey, Shubrajyoti Bharat, Ronjini Chakraborty and Zeeshan Ayyub are also part of the cast. Article 15 is scheduled to hit theatres on 28 June.