Article 370, starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Priya Mani Raj, hit the big screen on February 23 this year. On Saturday, it completed its 50 day run at the box office and despite multiple other releases, it has been holding well. It has already crossed the coveted Rs 100 crore club. Set against the backdrop of the Indian polity, the film revolves around the abrogation of Section 370, that accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, director Aditya Suhas Jambhale shares that he’s thrilled with the ‘great feat’ Article 370 has achieved. He says, “The respect audiences gave our film is much more important than numbers alone. Numbers are still numbers. Their reaction is more crucial. It’s great that a film with two female leads is getting this kind of a response only on the basis of the content and the craft, which is really assuring. It proves that good content can rock the box office. This will definitely boost up the confidence of new filmmakers.”
Prior to its release, the Aditya Dhar production venture became a point of conversation with many referring to it as a propaganda film. But the National Award winning-director believes that its success has crushed that narrative. “More importantly, its long run validates the point that the narrative of it being a propaganda film – as it was being referred to before release – was completely wrong. It’s working through word-of-mouth publicity. So many people have watched it more than once in theatres. This is organic response. I’m really grateful and thankful to the audience for making it a grand success,” he states.
Currently, two female-led films – Article 370 and Crew – have been creating a ripple at the box office. Does Aditya feel that this has set a new precedent? “I never thought about making a statement. The film made a statement on its own. The real characters were female and we retained that authenticity. That’s why we cast Yami and Priya Mani in the lead,” he says.
He further continues, “These kinds of films working at the box office has boosted our confidence and cleared up muddled waters. It’s a sign that we don’t always need to follow the set norms of what can be a hit and what will be a flop. These two films have infused new energy in filmmakers to think out of the box. The future of filmmaking will be impacted by this in a positive way.”
Aditya also recalls his chat with Yami during the first weekend of the release of Article 370 and tells us, “When we received the numbers the film clocked after its first weekend, I had a conversation with Yami. She was really happy with the way the audience was reacting to the film and responding to her character, in particular. She told me she was really proud of the film. We also spoke about responsibility. It has set the bar really high and working towards a greater goal is the only way to move forward.”
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