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Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Koshish thi ki log samjhein unki ladai: Writer Muazzam Beg on the film Phule and the legacy of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule
A still from Phule Writer Muazzam Beg Phule, a biographical drama about social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, is more than a period film - it's a story of two towering figures in India's reformist history. Writer Muazzam Beg says the journey of making the film began with a moment of personal reckoning. 'It was an important film to make,' he says, adding that he, too, was surprised by how little he knew about the couple's early activism. 'Jyotirao and Savitribai worked towards social reforms at a very young age,' he explains. 'Agar jan manas ki baat karen toh utna nahi jaante log. Jinko pan-India audience bolte hain, un sab tak Jyotiba Phule pahunchne chahiye.' Writer Muazzam Beg on the set of Phule Film ka core wohi tha - education aur untouchability ki jo ladai ladi thi unhone The film stars Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa in the lead roles and explores the Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule's pioneering work in education, caste reform, and gender equality. 'Ambedkar ke liye zameen toh phir Jyotiba Phule ne hi taiyyar ki thi,' Muazzam points out, referencing how Phule's efforts laid the groundwork for B.R. Ambedkar's later activism. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In fact, Ambedkar himself has written extensively about Jyotirao and Savitribai, acknowledging their role in shaping India's modern reformist consciousness. Condensing such expansive lives into a feature-length film was, Muazzam admits, one of the greatest challenges. 'When an entire life has to be crunched into a couple of hours, you have to make decisions about what to show and what to leave out,' he says. 'But as a writer, and with Ananth Mahadevan as director and co-writer, we didn't take any cinematic or creative liberties. Everything that you see in the film is based on extensive research and facts. We referred to several books.' He adds, 'A biography is vast, and their lives were immensely vast. To make a movie, you have to hold on to the core, and for us, that was their fight against untouchability. Core wohi tha - education aur untouchability ki jo ladai ladi thi unhone. We wanted that message to reach the audience.' Writer Muazzam Beg on the set of Phule We were focused on two things: first, that the words should feel authentic to the people of that time, and second, that today's audience could understand them Writing dialogue for a period film came with its own set of challenges. 'Uss waqt ki bhasha bhi alag thi. Har tarah ke log thay,' he explains. 'We were focused on two things: first, that the words should feel authentic to the people of that time, and second, that today's audience could understand them. Those words that were too difficult to understand, we preferred to avoid. Koshish yehi thi ki logon tak baat pahunche.' The film pays close attention to detail - not just in language, but in costumes, settings, and overall tone. Shot at real locations, the film strives for authenticity. 'Aaj jab hum Jyotiba ki kahani bol rahe hain, toh uske peechhe ek maqsad hai - ki log ye samjhein ki kya ladai ladi unhone, aur kya change laa sakte hain hum apne society mein,' Muazzam says. He talks about the enduring relevance of Phule's ideals. 'There's no doubt that in the last 175 years, the time has changed a little when it comes to the caste system,' he says. 'I have been so inspired by Jyotiba Phule. He never discriminated against anyone on the basis of caste, gender, or any grounds. Once you decide what to do in life, how you go about it - that journey is very inspiring for me.' He adds, the goal was to ensure that the film remained respectful. 'It was very important for us to balance that nobody gets hurt by the film.' Writer Muazzam Beg on the set of Phule Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Show of support
AFTER CAREFUL consideration, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi is planning to visit poll-bound Bihar on Thursday, where he is likely to meet students from disadvantaged backgrounds living in hostels. He is also likely to watch Phule, a biopic on social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule. Sources said Gandhi is considering watching the film at a special screening in Patna, along with a select group of Dalit and OBC activists, influencers and intellectuals. Arrangements for the special screening, including booking a theatre in the state capital, are being made by the party's state unit. Back To Polls In a development that has reignited talks around organisational elections in BJP, which were impacted due to the Pahalgam attack and India's military retaliation against Pakistan, senior leaders of the party's Delhi unit called on BJP national president J P Nadda at the BJP headquarters on Monday. Party insiders said Nadda took stock of the process, which is currently at the stage of the election of district unit presidents, during the meeting with these leaders. At least 18 of the party's 36 state units need to have elections at their level to kick off the process of electing the national president, as per the BJP's constitution. Coveted Address Justice B R Gavai, who is set to be the next Chief Justice of India on May 14, is unlikely to move into the official residence meant for the CJI. As the incumbent CJI takes time to vacate the premises, the next CJI with a shorter tenure often finds it a hassle to move into the coveted Krishna Menon Marg residence. It is learnt that Justice Gavai, who will have a tenure of six months and will demit office on December 23, will continue to stay at his Tughlaq Road residence. Among the last three CJIs — Justices U U Lalit, D Y Chandrachud and Sanjiv Khanna — only Justice Chandrachud, who had a two-year tenure, occupied the official residence.
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The continuing relevance of Mahatma Phule's ideals of education
The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft Bill to regulate fees in private schools. This comes after the Delhi Public School, Dwarka, was in the news for locking students in the library and barring them from attending classes over unpaid fees. Several prominent schools had come under fire from parents for allegedly raising fees without proper approvals. The school fee-hike issue was brewing when the release of the Phule movie was delayed due to backlash. The movie based on the lives of Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, visionaries in the field of education, was delayed 'due to objections raised by the Brahmin community', according to the film's director, Anant Mahadevan. The film was released after some amendments suggested by the The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Like the Delhi school fee-hike issue, most news reports about the state of education in the country highlight that Phule's ideals such as compulsory education for all are far from being fulfilled. The picture is grim, even 135 years after his passing from a life dedicated to revolutionising and making education accessible to everyone. In 1882, Phule had submitted a representation to Sir William Hunter, Chairman of the Education Commission. In this representation, Phule vouched for compulsory primary education and the pressing need for women to get primary education. He said that education for the people in India should be given in a useful manner with need-based content. The representation also contained suggestions for the education of deprived children. Drop in enrollment numbers The latest UDISE+ 2023-24 data released by the Ministry of Education shows a dip in government school enrolment by 88 lakh in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. The Economic Survey 2024-25 points out that retention rates remain at 85.4 percent for primary (classes 1 to 5), 78 percent for elementary (classes 1 to 8), 63.8 percent for secondary (classes 1 to 10), and 45.6 percent for higher secondary (classes 1 to 12). When one reads Phule's words to the Hunter Commission, it is evident that the same struggle is still on. Phule wrote, 'Nearly nine-tenths of the villages in this Presidency, or nearly 10 lakhs of children, it is said, are without any provision, whatever, for primary instruction. A good deal of their poverty, their want of self-reliance, and their entire dependence upon the learned and intelligent classes is attributable to this deplorable state of education among the peasantry'. A scene in the film shows the inception of Phule's first girls' school. Hopeful on the first day, when Phule arrives at the school, he sees only a few students. When he asks in disappointment about the numbers, a trolley is brought in, covered with a sack. A girl hidden in the trolley reveals herself, signifying the potential for more to come. From then till now, a lot has changed, but factors like social conditions, social deterioration, and poverty that Phule spoke about still keep children out of school. In the film, Phule says, 'Ek baar aarambh kiya toh ant tak chalna hoga' ~ 'Once we begin this journey, we have to walk it to the end'. The journey still continues. Not on equal footing As per 2023 data, some 8,139 students from other backward classes (OBCs) and minority communities had dropped out of IITs in the preceding five years. In the years between 2018 and 2023, 35 died, as per data furnished in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, in 2023. Phule had written a Marathi pamphlet that exposed how funds provided for higher education tended to educate Brahmins and the higher classes only, and left the masses wallowing in ignorance and poverty. Phule had reproduced a portion of it in the Hunter Commission. He said, 'They (Indian Universities) have educated many children of wealthy men and have been the means of advancing very materially the worldly prospects of some of their pupils. But what contribution have these made to the great work of regenerating their fellowmen?' He asked, 'How have they begun to act upon the masses? Have any of them formed classes at their own homes or elsewhere, for the instruction of their less fortunate or less wise countrymen? Or have they kept their knowledge to themselves, as a personal gift, not to be soiled by contact with the ignorant vulgar? Have they in any way shown themselves anxious to advance the general interests and repay the philanthropy with patriotism? Upon what grounds is it asserted that the best way to advance the moral and intellectual welfare of the people is to raise the standard of instruction among the higher classes? A glorious argument this for aristocracy, were it only tenable'. Indigenous schools? In other news, the only Gondi-medium school in a village of Maharashtra, started by the Gond tribe four years ago, is caught in a court battle. In 2022, the school, which aims to instill the Gond language and culture in its students, received a notice from Maharashtra's Education Department saying it was not registered with the zilla parishad. The fight for recognition is still on. Phule was a promoter of indigenous schools. A year after the institution of the female schools, in 1855, Phule also established an indigenous mixed school for the lower classes, especially the Mahars and Mangs. Two more schools for these classes were subsequently added. His vision Phule, at that point in time, spoke about the practical usage of education in life, which has only now become commonplace after NEP. He had also promoted the inclusion of Agriculture in the curriculum, taking into consideration its importance in the country. He suggested that the schools should impart education based on professional skills. He believed that such a curriculum would attract students, and this arrangement would help in preventing unemployment. For maintaining a high quality of education. He had emphasized that the teachers in primary schools should be trained. In order to impart social education to those in the lower strata of society, the teachers themselves should be from the lower strata of society. The teachers should have the knowledge of Agriculture and the minimal knowledge of health and hygiene . He also said that apart from their pay, teachers from villages should be given a special allowance, commensurate with the number of successful students, they had trained. At all levels, education should be under the control of Government.
India Today
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Phule review: Pratik-Patralekhaa's revolutionary film dimmed by dull storytelling
In one of the most heartening scenes, days before he dies, Jyotirao Phule looks up at the sky, questioning God whether his doors would open for the lower caste people. He mentions how he's seen the temple closed for him and his community all his life. While this particular sequence comes towards the end of Ananth Mahadevan's latest directorial, 'Phule', it encompasses the crux of the biographical heartbreaking that not many know about Jyotirao Phule and his ever-supportive wife, Savitribai Phule - the fiery revolutionaries who kickstarted the movement for women's education in India and fought for the lower caste. However, it's sadder that the first Hindi film on these great reformers ended up as a dull and uninspiring film opens in 1897, when Pune was under the grim tragedy of the bubonic plague that killed many. Through Savitribai (Patralekha), we are transported back in time to when these visionaries began their fight against caste, patriarchy, and orthodox beliefs. And while they are challenged at every step, cow dung, stones and death threats also follow suit. You watch in disbelief at the strength the two displayed as they took on Brahmins, their own family, and society to ensure young girls received an education. And while on the path, they also championed the upliftment of lower-caste people, supporting widows, preserving their dignity, and even digging a well in their compound so that untouchables could access water. But the film, shown in a muted colour palette, never fully takes you in with its banal the film stands out is in how honestly it portrays how religion and caste have been the biggest shackles for society to break out from. Also, as expected, women have to suffer at great extremes. The film, thankfully, is not preachy and becomes more like a mirror to the audience, showing how these beliefs have only marred the growth of any nation. When Phule talks about how India is a sensitive country and religion can be used to create a divide, you cannot help but chuckle at how we continue to be in the same position even after hundreds of years. One should probably take a leaf out of these stories to help build a better future for our next to performances, Pratik Gandhi effortlessly becomes Jyotirao Phule in this biographical drama. From dialogue delivery and expressions to those powerful emotions, full marks to Pratik. The makers ensured that Savitribai's contribution to the movement is highlighted, giving Patralekhaa a chance to sink her teeth into a powerful role. She also gets one of the most powerful monologues in the film when she confronts Brahmins about seeking as much hierarchy as the British, exposing the politics of the ones in even after an earnest try, she never wholly becomes Savitribai. Her dialogues seemed more like a child reciting rehearsed lines on stage rather than an actor feeling them. Actors Alexx O'Nell, Amit Behl, Joy Sengupta, and Akshaya Gurav ably added support to these lead stars, while Darsheel Safary was completely wasted as Phule's adopted for director Ananth Mahadevan, for Bollywood fans, he may be known to have helmed a thriller like 'Aksar'; not many know he also directed Sindhutai Sapkal's Marathi biography 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal', which earned him a National Award. The filmmaker picked a similar slow and docu-style approach for 'Phule' too. However, the two-hour-nine-minute runtime suffers from sluggish pacing, making the film drag midway. Given that it's such an inspiring story, you somehow want to stay connected, but the snail-paced screenplay makes it a weary watch. The songs and the flute-heavy background score also do not do much service to the how little we know of Jyotirao Phule, the first Mahatma of this country, 'Phule' definitely deserves a watch. And if you are not up for it, at least read up on him and Savitribai's radical journey. They deserve a lot more recognition, respect, and glory. And just like Phule looking to the heavens for answers, perhaps it's time we look into our own history with the same hope - that someday, stories like theirs are told with the fire they lit.3 out of 5 stars of 'Phule'.Tune InMust Watch
India.com
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Phule movie review: Patralekha and Pratik Gandhi make it soar in not so typical Bollywood biopic
'Phule' staring Patralekha and Pratik Gandhi is an important watch 'I have a dream… ek aisa samaj ho jahan koi pradhan na ho, sab saman ho' – Jyotirao Phule, Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer, who fought for reform change and women empowerment in underprivileged India. A scorching sun, chaos, people masked with cloth wrapped around their faces, bodies lying on beds, Phule opens against the backdrop of the bubonic plague that gripped India in the late 18th century. Was it just another chapter in history, or also a metaphorical lens on the systemic casteism and gender discrimination that still prevail? It's all about what meets the eye—and that's what makes the difference. Ananth Mahadevan's biopic is based on two of India's reformers who remain less celebrated than they deserve: Jyotirao Phule (Pratik Gandhi) and Savitribai Phule (Patralekhaa). This film serves as an introduction to who they were, what they stood for, and the struggle they ignited, one that continues to this day. Savitribai Phule is considered to be the first female teacher in India, along with Fatima Sheikh. She was a feminist iconic at a time when the concept didn't even exist. Jyotirao Phule, his wife and their aides were the people behind why women education exists, who raised voice against gender disparity, caste system, preached rights of women, widow remarriage, harmony with all religions. It was for them who fought tooth and nail, left their families, endured the war against society, a war of the intellect and not physical strength. In biopics like this where political, social and sensitive have strong undercurrents, objections are not surprising. The film witnessed a delay after majorly three Brahmin segments raised objections, and Central Film Board of Certification (CFBC) recommended tweaks. While some groups raised an eyebrow towards the biased and imbalance portrayal of Brahmins, this doesn't take away from the fact the social evil of caste based division did not exist in the first place. If the Brahmin boys were shown throwing cow dung at Savitribai, then it was Tatya Bhide and Vishnu Pant and other Brahmin teachers who joined hands with Phule to move towards progression. Mahadevan has deftly weaved scenes where small actions of the characters portray a lot about their thinking as reformers. Just after Jyotirao and Savitribai come home after another gruesome day, in a scene that appears to be a simple conversation, the gesture of Jyotirao mechanically filling a glass of water and passing to his wife and she accepting it, highlights how they imbibed the values of equality amongst themselves first. Comfortable Faces, Fresh Performances Ananth Mahadevan's choice of cast makes the film get that extra star. Pratik Gandhi as Phule and Patralekhaa as Savitri are known faces, and just comfortable enough, that it brings freshness and not starlight. The entire cast makes it palpably a common people's tale. Gandhi clad in white dhoti, brown coat and red turban effortlessly slips into the character who makes you want to believe in a calm and composed Jyotirao Phule, whose eye burn with passion to uplift the society. For him, it was always a war intelligence and not so much of yielding weapons and violence. So when Phule says, 'Angrezon ki gulami toh 100 saal purani hai, main uss gulami se azaad karwana chahata hun jo kai saal purani hai…' – you believe his passion, the ire towards oppression. Patralekhaa commands attention throughout the film. Just when you mistake her poise for submission, she delivers a sharp jolt, both literally and figuratively, cementing her role as a true feminist icon. Unlike her earlier roles in 'Wild Wild Punjab' or 'IC 814: Kandahar Hijack', where you keep waiting for her to rise to her full potential only for the credits to roll. Phule finally gives her the space to excel, and… she delivers! The chemistry between Pratik and Patralekhaa hits all the right notes. When she affectionately calls Phule 'Sethji,' there's a quiet reverence and deep love in her voice. Every time Gandhi meets her gaze with a smile, you feel the warmth of their bond, rooted in mutual respect and affection. It's moments like these that make the line 'Tum har jeevan mein saathi' from the song Saathi feel tailor-made for them. Vinay Pathak, Akshaya Gurav, Asit Redij, Vishal Tiwari, Suresh Vishwakarma , Amit Bahl, Joy Sengupta, Darsheel Safary, Alexx O' Neil, and the rest of the ensemble cast also deliver solid performances in their respective roles. When The Story Arc Fluctuates Uncomfortably The first half of Phule piques curiosity as the director introduces the ordeals of caste-based discrimination, the layered problems of inequality, and the societal evils that have been reduced to a single page in textbooks. Several small scenes leave you pondering. When Usman Sheikh's (Phule's school friend) sister, Fatima, welcomes the Phules by speaking in English, it brings a smile to your face too, because you imagine: two women conversing in English in the 1800s? A small win, right there. According to the caste system that prevailed at that time, the 'untouchables' were not allowed to move out before dusk so that the 'upper caste Brahmins' do not get near with the shadow that gets cast during noon. In a promising scene when Phule and the Brahmins come face to face, the reformer's one step forward was one step backwards for the social evils. That was the beginning of it all. However, when one comes back after the interval with built up hopes, the tension seems to die down. As the first half rallies through the trials and tribulations, the second half is reduced to heartbreaking emotional phase slowing down the pace too. Here, history is extensive and putting it all together in a 2 hours 20 minute long narrative is a herculean task. Hence, the latter part of the film suddenly feels like a quick flip through rest of the significant chapters in the life of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule. Here's when it gets bumpy and slightly uncomfortable for the audience. Verdict: It's the simplicity of Phule that makes it a fresh bloom in the era of biopics. The intentions are clear and pure. Patralekhaa and Pratik Gandhi carry Ananth Mahadevan's direction with strength, making it an important watch. It doesn't preach or push hard, but instead encourages reflection, telling the story of reformers who have remained relatively underrepresented. The storyline rushes through significant moments, even within its slow-paced narration, briefly making you wish for a 10-second skip button. Still, it's not preachy but an introduction to Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule's undeterred passion of 'kranti' of the mindsets. Stars: 3.5
