The Crossbill News Desk
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (April 11) launched a sharp attack on the BJP-RSS over the controversy surrounding the film Phule, alleging that the ruling establishment is attempting to suppress Dalit-Bahujan history and the truth of caste discrimination.
Phule, a biopic based on the lives of social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, was scheduled to hit theatres this Friday but has now been postponed to April 25 following objections raised by members of the Brahmin community.
Taking to X Gandhi wrote in Hindi, “On one hand, BJP-RSS leaders superficially pay homage to Phule ji, and on the other, they are censoring a film made on his life. Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule devoted their entire lives to the fight against casteism but the government does not want to let that struggle and its historical facts come on screen, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged.”
He accused the government of deliberately obstructing the portrayal of Phule’s struggle against casteism.
“BJP-RSS wants to erase Dalit-Bahujan history at every step, so that the real truth of caste discrimination and injustice does not come to the fore,” Gandhi asserted.
The film stars Pratik Gandhi of Scam 1992 fame as Jyotiba Phule, and Patralekhaa as Savitribai Phule.
Director Ananth Mahadevan told PTI that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted a 'U' certificate on April 7, with a few suggested modifications.
Also read: CBFC Asks Cuts in ‘Phule’ Film After Brahmin Group’s Complaint, Release Postponed
These included the removal or alteration of certain terms like ‘Mang’, ‘Mahar’, and ‘Peshwai’, the replacement of a scene showing a man carrying a broom with one where boys throw cow dung at Savitribai, and a change in the phrase “3,000 saal purani ghulami” (3,000 years of slavery) to “Kai saal purani” (many years old).
Mahadevan clarified that the board did not mandate any cuts but only advised amendments to make the film more accessible to a wider, especially younger, audience.
“They had suggested some amendments, I wouldn't call them cuts. I want to clarify that there are no cuts as such. We did so. They felt that the film should be watched by the youth and everyone and it's very educative. I don't know why this whole storm of conflict and counter arguments are happening, I think it's a little exaggerated and unnecessary," he told PTI.
In light of the backlash, Mahadevan said the film’s release was deferred to allow time for the controversy to subside.
Controversy erupted following the trailer release on April 10, with some members of the Brahmin community alleging that the film portrayed them in a negative light.
Anand Dave, president of the Maharashtra-based Hindu Mahasangh, had expressed displeasure, stating that it was unfair to highlight only the problematic aspects of the community’s history.
“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 New Indian Express.
Phule, a biopic based on the lives of social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, was scheduled to hit theatres this Friday but has now been postponed to April 25 following objections raised by members of the Brahmin community.
Taking to X Gandhi wrote in Hindi, “On one hand, BJP-RSS leaders superficially pay homage to Phule ji, and on the other, they are censoring a film made on his life. Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule devoted their entire lives to the fight against casteism but the government does not want to let that struggle and its historical facts come on screen, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged.”
He accused the government of deliberately obstructing the portrayal of Phule’s struggle against casteism.
“BJP-RSS wants to erase Dalit-Bahujan history at every step, so that the real truth of caste discrimination and injustice does not come to the fore,” Gandhi asserted.
BJP-RSS के नेता एक तरफ फुले जी को दिखावटी नमन करते हैं, और दूसरी तरफ उनके जीवन पर बनी फिल्म को सेंसर कर रहे!
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 11, 2025
महात्मा फुले और सावित्रीबाई फुले जी ने जातिवाद के खिलाफ लड़ाई में पूरा जीवन समर्पित कर दिया, मगर सरकार उस संघर्ष और उसके ऐतिहासिक तथ्यों को पर्दे पर नहीं आने देना चाहती।…
The film stars Pratik Gandhi of Scam 1992 fame as Jyotiba Phule, and Patralekhaa as Savitribai Phule.
Director Ananth Mahadevan told PTI that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted a 'U' certificate on April 7, with a few suggested modifications.
Also read: CBFC Asks Cuts in ‘Phule’ Film After Brahmin Group’s Complaint, Release Postponed
These included the removal or alteration of certain terms like ‘Mang’, ‘Mahar’, and ‘Peshwai’, the replacement of a scene showing a man carrying a broom with one where boys throw cow dung at Savitribai, and a change in the phrase “3,000 saal purani ghulami” (3,000 years of slavery) to “Kai saal purani” (many years old).
Mahadevan clarified that the board did not mandate any cuts but only advised amendments to make the film more accessible to a wider, especially younger, audience.
“They had suggested some amendments, I wouldn't call them cuts. I want to clarify that there are no cuts as such. We did so. They felt that the film should be watched by the youth and everyone and it's very educative. I don't know why this whole storm of conflict and counter arguments are happening, I think it's a little exaggerated and unnecessary," he told PTI.
In light of the backlash, Mahadevan said the film’s release was deferred to allow time for the controversy to subside.
Controversy erupted following the trailer release on April 10, with some members of the Brahmin community alleging that the film portrayed them in a negative light.
Anand Dave, president of the Maharashtra-based Hindu Mahasangh, had expressed displeasure, stating that it was unfair to highlight only the problematic aspects of the community’s history.
“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 New Indian Express.
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