The Crossbill News Desk
The release of Phule, a biopic on the lives of prominent social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule, has been delayed after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) directed the removal of several caste-related terms deemed “sensitive”.
The film was originally scheduled for release on April 11 — Jyotiba Phule’s birth anniversary, celebrated as Phule Jayanti — but has now been postponed to April 21, The New Indian Express reported.
According to the CBFC’s directive, words such as “Mahar,” “Mang,” “Peshvai,” and references to “Manu’s system of caste” must be removed or altered.
The decision came after the Brahmin Federation, led by its president Anand Dave, filed a complaint alleging that the film promotes caste-based division and portrays Brahmins in a negative light.
Dave claimed that while the film focuses on the caste based discrimination faced by the people, it neglects the role of Brahmins who supported their reformist work.
“The story is one-sided. We are not against showing the truth, but it should be inclusive. The film could stoke caste-based tensions,” he told the newspaper.
The CBFC's move has drawn sharp criticism from political quarters, especially from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad condemned the censorship, asserting that historical truths should not be suppressed.
“History cannot be erased, it can only be learned from. Whatever is shown in the movie Mahatma Jyotirao Phule is a historical truth—truth cannot be denied or altered. Among the social reformers of this country, the names of Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule stand at the forefront. What is true must be shown,” Awhad said.
Director Ananth Mahadevan, who directed the film starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha, defended the project, stating that Phule is based on extensive historical research and draws from a wide array of sources.
The controversy has reignited the ongoing debate over freedom of expression in cinema and the role of censorship in portraying caste realities in Indian history.
The film was originally scheduled for release on April 11 — Jyotiba Phule’s birth anniversary, celebrated as Phule Jayanti — but has now been postponed to April 21, The New Indian Express reported.
According to the CBFC’s directive, words such as “Mahar,” “Mang,” “Peshvai,” and references to “Manu’s system of caste” must be removed or altered.
The decision came after the Brahmin Federation, led by its president Anand Dave, filed a complaint alleging that the film promotes caste-based division and portrays Brahmins in a negative light.
Dave claimed that while the film focuses on the caste based discrimination faced by the people, it neglects the role of Brahmins who supported their reformist work.
“The story is one-sided. We are not against showing the truth, but it should be inclusive. The film could stoke caste-based tensions,” he told the newspaper.
The CBFC's move has drawn sharp criticism from political quarters, especially from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad condemned the censorship, asserting that historical truths should not be suppressed.
“History cannot be erased, it can only be learned from. Whatever is shown in the movie Mahatma Jyotirao Phule is a historical truth—truth cannot be denied or altered. Among the social reformers of this country, the names of Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule stand at the forefront. What is true must be shown,” Awhad said.
Director Ananth Mahadevan, who directed the film starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha, defended the project, stating that Phule is based on extensive historical research and draws from a wide array of sources.
The controversy has reignited the ongoing debate over freedom of expression in cinema and the role of censorship in portraying caste realities in Indian history.
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