Article 370

The autonomy of Kashmir has been a burning issue in Bharat and has been widely spoken about in the national discourse. Many movies like the National Award-winning Kashmir Files, and lesser-known ones like Shikhara have attempted to portray the various facets of the Kashmir issue, and Article 370 is one of them. While we have seen in different Bollywood movies the representation of terror and militancy in the riot-torn areas of Kashmir, very few writers have taken it upon themselves to exhibit the reason for the same, fearing the backlash and the political nature of the issue. Though widely discussed, the nuanced and subtle aspects of the matter have been lost as seen in the case of Shikhara (2020).Article 370 combats this fear and displays on the silver screen an evidence-based and unapologetic representation of the matter in question beginning from the genesis to the solution. Aditya Suhas Jambhale, the Director, treads well the path of part-fiction, part-history while retaining the seriousness and truth of the events. It's an added advantage to have Aditya Dhar as one of the writers, who has previously helmed a film like Uri, and is a Kashmiri himself.The central stage of the movie is occupied by visibly powerful women played by Yami Gautam (Zooni Haskar, a central intelligence officer) and Priya Mani (Rajeshwari, a bureaucrat in the Prime Minister’s Office)..The fast-paced movie begins with an introduction of the ground realities of the land. Zooni Haskar, a native Kashmiri Pandit officer is a perfect mix of professional and emotional aspirations to eradicate terror in Kashmir. Her background symbolising the political degeneracy and corruption brings out the complete image of the setting in Kashmir. She spearheads the local operations in the valley and plays a crucial role in the elimination of the terrorist mastermind under the Government's radar.Yet unknown to her, events take a drastic turn and lead to a furore in the valley, souring her relationship with the high command. She is transferred to Delhi but does not go unnoticed. Meanwhile, the Central leadership taking into account the growing unrest in Kashmir, take it upon themself to relieve the citizenry of Kashmir of their hardships. They devise a plan to revoke the contentious Article 370 of the Constitution.The movie portrays the hardships, technicalities and logistics involved in the preparation for the big move with Zooni, still persistent about her motive, sent back to the ground by the Prime Minister’s Office under the newly formed National Intelligence Agency. The movie brings to light the events unfolding in Srinagar and New Delhi with Rajeshwari, a fast thinking, diplomatic and analytical Home Secretary coupled with Zooni solving the puzzle to peace, piece by piece..The gut-wrenching representations of the Pulwama terror attack and the loss of unsung officers in the Indian Army bring out the raw nationalistic spirit of the audience by providing a reality check about the horrors faced by the security personnel. The movie triggers the curiosity of the audience by including the legal aspects of a big move by the government and portraying a racy treasure hunt for the documents hidden by the corrupt leaders of Kashmir.Arun Govil and Kiran Karmarkar, playing the Prime Minister and Home Minister respectively, bring depth into the issue by putting forth the outlook of the political leadership and the need for immediate stability in the valley. The characters bring out the ideological conviction of the government to abrogate Article 370 and cater to the basic needs of the Kashmiri people. The idea that a country cannot have two constitutions and two flags is reiterated in multiple ways. The movie, despite claiming not to be a documentary, has managed to deliver the technicalities and intent together as a package to the viewers, to be readily consumed.Article 370 achieves its goal as declared by the filmmakers by providing the viewers with simple takeaways to be pondered upon, while also creating a personal experience for those watching it. The lasting impression of a unified India gives immense satisfaction to the viewer. However, it begs the question of us, the youth, if we are doing our bit for nation building and making the many sacrifices worth it?