Director: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
Cast: Yami Gautam, Priyamani, Kiran Karmarkar, Arun Govil, Raj Arun
Writers:
Aditya DharArjun DhawanAditya Suhas Jambhale

‘Article 370’ is a well-made film but will test your patience with its run-time of 2 hours and 40 minutes. The filmmaker could have easily chopped the first half that is wasted in setting up the premise. Crawling slower than a tortoise, the film wakes up only in the latter half and dashes like a hare towards the finish line with paced drama but with predictable twists.
‘Article 370’ is based on the PMO’s decision

The film opens in 1947 with sepia tone visuals and Ajay Devgn’s voiceover, explaining how a part of Kashmir went to Pakistan and how Article 370 came into being. The political action thriller then moves to 2016, when following Kashmir unrest, a local agent and an Intelligence Field Officer Zooni Haksar (Yami Gautam Dhar) is secretly recruited by the PMO Secretary Rajeshwari (Priyamani Swaminathan) to spearhead the National Investigation Agency (NIA) operation in Kashmir, uncover conflict economy, fight separatists and corrupt officers, and curb terror situation, months before the abrogation of Article 370 comes into play.

The first half is a slow burn that takes time to build the momentum to set the premise, and the tragic Pulwama attack is thoughtfully used as the interval block. With a more focused approach in the second half, the film gets fast-paced and well-knit, leading up to a fulfilling climax that lasts for an exhilarating 30 minutes. Some of the of the dialogues might sound repetitive of what we’ve heard in numerous films based on Kashmir, yet there are many portions where some power-packed lines make you laud.

Yami Gautam packs a punch and is terrific in her portrayal. Her no-nonsense demeanor lends a gravitas to the film and she lets her action and intense dialogue delivery do most of the talking. I particularly loved the parts when she stands up for her fellow men in uniform or confronts another colleague for always jeopardizing her breakthroughs.

Article 370 clashed with the Vidyut Jammwal-starrer action film Crakk at the box office. Also starring Nora Fatehi and Arjun Rampal, Crakk collected Rs 4 crore on the first day. Article 370’s opening day figures are only marginally lower than the day one collections of the recent Shahid Kapoor-starrer Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which made Rs 6.7 crore on opening day, and has since earned Rs 66 crore in India. The political thriller can most accurately be compared to the similarly themed recent films The Kashmir Files, which made Rs 3.5 crore on day one, and Uri itself. Uri made Rs 8.2 crore on opening day, and concluded its theatrical run with over Rs 350 crore worldwide. Both The Kashmir Files and Uri were word-of-mouth hits, and Article 370’s reviews suggest that it could also build momentum over the weekend.

Among the noteworthy ensemble cast, the ones those stand out definitely are Arun Govil as the PM and Kiran Karmarkar as Home Minister, characters based on Narendra Modi and Amit Shah respectively. Right from their prosthetics to make them look the part, their dialogue delivery to the whole aura they bring on screen, it was quite a fitting casting. Actors Raj Zutshi, Raj Arun and Vaibhav Tatwawadi, too, lend an able support to the leading cast.