Phule (2025/India) Movie portrays the extraordinary true tale of a power couple, who were an activist and a social reformer from India. Not only did they lead the fight against the oppressive caste system, but they were also a pioneer in women’s education. So, they defied the ironclad ancient Indian social system.
But there are many more unseen layers to their inspiring historical tale about a real-life couple from the present-day Maharashtra state. Both Jyotirao Phule (11th April 1827 – 28th November 1890) and Savitribai Phule (3rd January 1831 – 10th March 1897) lived during the British Colonial Period in the Indian sub-continent.
“Phule” Is An Amazing Biographical Tale Of 2 Social Reformers – Jyotirao Govindrao Phule & Savitribai Phule
Spoiler Free Review of the Phule (2025/India) Movie
The introduction
Only in very rare instances, we get to watch the mainstream movies, which narrate the biographical tale about the people who belong to the downtrodden section of society in India. It seems that even in the twenty-first century, the dominant voices in India do not wish to discuss certain historical facts honestly. Be it the age-old rigid caste-hierarchy and the practices of untouchability, which were well-entrenched and had taken deep roots in Indian society. Perhaps, it is still taboo to depict the sorry plight of the oppressed class (or caste) of people, the girl child and women in general, in the India of the 1800s and pre-1800 eras.
Truth be told, even this historical biographical film was subjected to censorship issues following objections from Brahmin caste groups in India, who felt misrepresented. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sought numerous cuts in this Hindi movie, including the removal of references to caste and scenes illustrating the severe realities of caste discrimination in India. These cuts led to controversy, with critics claiming they sanitised history and weakened the film’s message about social justice. But these are the harsh ground realities even in contemporary India.
For instance, the CBFC has urged the removal of scenes that depict caste discrimination, including one where a Dalit man is obliged to tie a broom to his waist and boys are seen throwing cow dung at Savitribai, who was born in the Shudra caste.
Still, despite the censoring of some of its key scenes by the CBFC, this well-made film packs a punch. Therefore, this bold biographical film from India is inspiring to watch. More than one and a half centuries ago, the social reformer couple courageously decided to challenge the faulty social systems.
Short note about the history of harsh social realities in India
The practices of untouchability and caste discrimination were widely prevalent in Indian society for many centuries, since ancient times. For those who are unaware of history, the ‘untouchability’ refers to the practice of excluding and marginalising certain populations (Dalits/Outcastes) due to their birth and the caste they are perceived to belong to in the Indian caste system. In other words, the ‘untouchability’ encompasses the denial of access for these lower caste groups to social, economic, and religious sectors, typically based on beliefs regarding ritual purity and pollution.
Furthermore, the girl children and the women experienced substantial social, legal, and economic constraints, often limited to domestic responsibilities and lacking essential rights. So, as social reformers, they took on the mantle to ameliorate the wretched conditions of the downtrodden sections of Indian society.
Kudos to the Ananth, Pratik, Patralekhaa & its entire team
To be honest, the majority of the viewers should be thankful to the brave filmmakers like Anant Mahadevan for bringing forth many of the hidden and lesser-known historical tales to our screens. It is inspiring to note that despite receiving many personal threats to their lives, they never gave up. They continued on the path of ushering in many unthinkable social reforms in that challenging era. In a way, the active support from the influential British officials during the Colonial Rule period helped the Phule couple. With their support, they could challenge the inequitable traditions in society.
Historically, both of them (Phule) tirelessly worked for the elimination of untouchability and the caste system. Moreover, they are very well-known for their dedication to the education of women and marginalised castes. In this biographical film, the lead actor, Pratik Gandhi, convincingly portrayed the great man, Jyotirao Govindrao Phule. Also, the lead actress Patralekhaa Paul was equally good while playing the role of his better half, Savitribai Phule. Both of them performed very well. The rest of the ensemble cast was wonderful, too.
The conclusion
The entire team behind this period movie also deserve a pat on their back for recreating that historical era, meticulously. The work by the Costume Designer & Art Production Departments is praiseworthy. This biography is a must-watch for all Indians. As those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
FM Rating
| FM Rating of the Phule | 4.15/5 |
Poster
Check out the YouTube video - Dhun Lagi | Phule | Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa | Romy | Rohan Rohan | Sarosh Asif.
Also, read the review of the "Jai Bhim" movie in our Focus Magazine, which deals with the subject of social discrimination in Modern India.
Key Details
| Genre | Biography |
| Original Language | Hindi (plus a bit of Marathi & English) |
| Duration | 2 Hours 9 Minutes |
| Writers | Ananth Mahadevan (writer) & Muazzam Beg (dialogue) |
| Director | Ananth Mahadevan |
| Music Composer | Rohan Rohan |
| Cinematographer | Sunita Radia |
| Editor | Raunak Phadnis |
| Main Cast | Pratik Gandhi (Jyotirao Govindrao Phule), Patralekhaa Paul (Savitribai Phule), Vinay Pathak (Govindrao Phule), Sushil Pandey (Babaji Rao Phule), Jayesh More (Usman Sheikh), Akshaya Gurav (Fatima Sheikh), Darsheel Safary (Yashwant Phule), Richard Bhakti Klein (Officer Rand), Amit Behl (Head Priest), Joy Sengupta (Vinayak Deshpande), Abhinav Singh Raghav (Mangal Deshpande), Sundeep Malani (Kamal Shastri), Alexx O’Nell (Ribbs Jones), etc. |
| Production Companies | Kingsmen Productions & Dancing Shiva Productions |
| Distributors | Zee Studios |
Trailer & Synopsis | Official
Phule, a powerful biopic unveiling the untold story of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (Pratik Gandhi) and Savitribai Phule (Patralekhaa Paul), the visionary reformers who fought for girls' education, the rights of the oppressed, and widows. So, Phule is about a determined team of a husband and wife. It was the time of child marriage when the girl child was refused education and pushed into marriage. But Jyotirao chose to educate his wife, Savitribai, and they were social reformers. Besides, they went to campaign for increased rights for the underprivileged.
Poster and Featured Images of the Phule (2025/India) Movie are credited to Dancing Shiva Productions.
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