Latest news with #JyotibaPhule
Deccan Herald
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
'Phule' movie review: Not as revolutionary as the couple
In Ananth Mahadevan's 'Phule', some aspects of the revolutionary couple who paved the way for a radical change in society is depicted in fragments throughout the film — from Jyotiba Phule teaching his wife English to getting inspired by Thomas Paine's 'Rights of Man', and from the couple opening a school for girl children and Dalits, to facing stiff opposition from Brahmins later.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Phule movie review: Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa's Savitribhai-Jyotiba Phule biopic struggles to rise over dull screenplay
What Jyotiba Phule and his wife, Savitribhai Phule, did for the abolishment of the caste system in India in the late 1800s, apart from fighting for female literacy, cannot- and should not- be forgotten. With this being acknowledged right in the beginning, it gives the writer the liberty to talk strictly about the film at hand, and its merits/ demerits. Phule is intended to be a faithful biopic on the lives of the two reformers, directed by Ananth Mahadevan and starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa. It begins with Savitribhai's humanitarian efforts for the people suffering from the Great Plague of Pune (then Poona) and then cuts to a flashback, where Jyotiba, married to the then-child Savitribhai, agrees to educate her despite resistance from his family and community. Their relationship is one of equality right from the beginning, and Ananth gets the vibe of the biopic right. Phule will definitely educate many people on these unsung heroes of India, whom we don't talk about enough. Some scenes in the film truly stand out. Like the one where Savitribhai shows a man his place when he tries to intimidate her. Or the courtroom scene where Pratik successfully stands up to a group of Brahmins who object to his attempts to abolish the caste system Where the film begins to feel weak is cramming in so much into a little more than two hours' runtime. What it leads to is thus one getting exhausted before the intermission. I don't think the makers have left out anything, but it was never meant to be like a history chapter in class X, which faithfully covers everything. What unfolds on screen isn't treated like a film. And by the time the ending is near, one is hoping it will at least wrap up on a poignant note, on time. But again- it stretches on. There's no climax really. What doesn't help is that both the leading actors, who put in decent efforts, sometimes give in to caricaturish portrayals. The screenplay jumps from one good deed to another, but there's no focus on making us understand these two people. The attention to detail in the production design is commendable. Rohan-Rohan's music is average, though. Overall, Phule is a sincere, important film, dulled by an oversimplistic screenplay and treatment.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AAP's statewide protest agianst opposition to ‘Phule'
Lucknow: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday held a statewide protest against the opposition to the film 'Phule', based on the lives of social reformists Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule, which caused a delay in its release. AAP's support for the film, especially in a state like Uttar Pradesh, outlines its focus on Dalit issues in UP, where the party will be trying its luck in the upcoming panchayat and then assembly polls in two years. It also seeks to challenge the BJP in UP, where the party has set itself the task of holding one protest a month on socially relevant issues in a bid to build up its presence in the state. In Lucknow, party workers heading to protest were detained by the police, but in several other districts, workers held up placards and shouted slogans against the govt, challenging it on its stand on Dalits in the face of the opposition to the 'Phule' film, where the objection has been largely on the portrayal of caste. AAP's visibility in UP dipped considerably over the past few months and to prepare for the upcoming elections in the state over the next few years, it has an uphill task to build itself again. As part of the strategy, all wings have been directed to hold two events each month: a protest on a socially relevant issue and a social service task. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling with Investments? Try This Simple Approach Equentis RnR Subscribe Undo To begin with, the statewide protest was called on Monday to protest against the Censor Board's decision to hold back the release of 'Phule'. A few weeks earlier, the party held demonstrations on the sale of liquor in the state. "This is a direct attack on freedom of expression. This decision attempts to suppress the legacy and struggle of these great social reformers who fought for equality and education in the country. It reveals the true mindset of the BJP. On one hand, they talk about the Constitution, Dr Ambedkar, and Dalit rights, while on the other, they halt films that talk about societal exploitation. This censorship is not just an attack on a film but on the entire Dalit movement and the values of social justice," Singh said, adding that while historical films like 'Phule' were stopped, govt promoted films like 'The Kashmir Files' and 'The Kerala Story', which spread hatred.
