'Article 15 does not take any sides'

Mumbai: Actor Ayushmann Khurrana says his upcoming film Article 15 does not take any sides and has no intentions to showcase any community in bad light.

"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 the film. 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," Ayushmann said in a statement.

The film, directed by Anubhav Sinha, earned the ire of the Brahmin community in Uttar Pradesh over the fact that the story has been "tweaked". With the intention of portraying the accused men as Brahmins, they feel it will defame the community.

The trailer of the film, which was released in May, shows two young girls of a village brutally raped and murdered, their bodies hanging from a tree. It shows the girls – whose families are marginalised and forced to work as labourers – were targeted because they demanded a hike of Rs 3, in their daily wages.

It is a content-driven film on the subject of discrimination itself. "It is an amalgamation of a series of events happening in our country. Yes, it's hard hitting and it will make you uncomfortable but it's a real film," he added.