The film, which features Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa in lead roles, says Mahadevan talks about “the corrective measures” that need to be taken in our society through the story of these social reformers. “Jyotirao and Savitribai worked towards social reforms at a very young age. That’s something I find amazing,” added Mahadevan. ‘Phule’ was earlier scheduled to release on April 11.
“There are no cinematic or creative liberties taken. Everything is based on facts and research. However, recreating these characters, how they conducted themselves and how they lived was a big cinematic challenge,” Mahadevan says and adds that they referred to several books, including some written by Brahmin authors on them. “Even B R Ambedkar has written about Jyotirao and Savitribai as he held them in high regard,” shared the director of ‘Mee Sindhutai Sapkal’ (2010) and ‘The Storyteller’ (2025).
After the CBFC gave its first committee report with suggested changes/modifications, the makers of ‘Phule’ carried out 12 of them and told the board about a few scenes that they wanted to retain. “These were mainly about certain incidents and we wanted to retain them for continuity,” the director recalled.
Mahadevan, however, wishes that ‘Phule’ had been released without any changes. “There was nothing so volatile that it would have hurt people’s sentiments. It is based on history as it happened and represented in an honest manner in the movie,” he says. The director, however, believes that the CBFC members’ “hands are tied in a bizarre fashion because some previous films or incidents have shaken their confidence”.
