Phule (film)
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{{Infobox film , name = Phule , image = Phule film poster.jpeg , caption = Theatrical release poster , director =
Anant Mahadevan Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (born 28 August 1950) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and an actor. Career Anant along with Sanjay Pawar received the National Award (2010) for the Best Screenplay and Dialogues for the successful Marathi ...
, writer =
Anant Mahadevan Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (born 28 August 1950) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and an actor. Career Anant along with Sanjay Pawar received the National Award (2010) for the Best Screenplay and Dialogues for the successful Marathi ...

Muazzam Beg , based_on = , producer = Sunil Jain
Pranay Chokshi
Ritesh Kudecha
Jagdish Patel
Anuya Chauhan Kudecha
Dr. Raj Khaware , starring = {{plainlist, *
Pratik Gandhi Pratik Gandhi (born 28 April 1980) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi films, theater, and television. He is best known for portraying Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV biographical series ''Scam 1992'' ( ...
*
Patralekha Patralekha Paul (born 20 February 1990), known mononymously as Patralekha, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. Paul made her acting debut with drama film '' CityLights'' (2014), for which she won the Screen Award for Mos ...
, cinematography = Sunita Radia , editing = Raunak Phadnis , music =
Rohan-Rohan Rohan Rohan is an Indian music director duo of Hindi and Marathi films, various television series, ad films and web series. The duo consists of Rohan Pradhan and Rohan Gokhale and is known for their work in Marathi and Hindi films including '' ...
, studio = Dancing Shiva Films
Kingsmen Productions , distributor =
Zee Studios Zee Studios is an Indian film production and distribution company, that specializes in film, streaming, and television, content development and production. It also specializes in film marketing and distribution. It is based in Mumbai, India, ...
, released = {{Film date, df=yes, 2025, 04, 25 , runtime = 129 minutes , country = India , language = Hindi , budget = ₹29 crore , gross = {{INR, 6.21 crore ''Phule'' is a 2025 Indian
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
-language
Biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from Docudrama, docudrama films ...
directed by
Anant Mahadevan Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (born 28 August 1950) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and an actor. Career Anant along with Sanjay Pawar received the National Award (2010) for the Best Screenplay and Dialogues for the successful Marathi ...
{{cite news , last1= , first1= , title=Phule's mission is incomplete, says director Ananth Mahadevan on his biopic on social reformer Jyotiba Phule , url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/phules-mission-is-incomplete-says-director-ananth-mahadevan-on-his-biopic-on-social-reformer-jyotiba-phule/article69472340.ece , access-date=24 April 2025 , publisher=The Hindu , date=24 April 2025 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424160003/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/phules-mission-is-incomplete-says-director-ananth-mahadevan-on-his-biopic-on-social-reformer-jyotiba-phule/article69472340.ece , archive-date=24 April 2025 , language=en-IN and produced by Dancing Shiva Films Kingsmen Productions Films and
Zee Studios Zee Studios is an Indian film production and distribution company, that specializes in film, streaming, and television, content development and production. It also specializes in film marketing and distribution. It is based in Mumbai, India, ...
. The film is based on the lives of
Jyotirao Phule Jyotirao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. His work extended to many fields, including eradication of ...
and
Savitribai Phule Savitribai Phule (; 3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian educator, social reformer, and poet, widely regarded as the first female teacher of modern India. Along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule, she played a pivotal role in advancin ...
. The film stars
Pratik Gandhi Pratik Gandhi (born 28 April 1980) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi films, theater, and television. He is best known for portraying Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV biographical series ''Scam 1992'' ( ...
and
Patralekha Patralekha Paul (born 20 February 1990), known mononymously as Patralekha, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. Paul made her acting debut with drama film '' CityLights'' (2014), for which she won the Screen Award for Mos ...
in titular roles. The film was scheduled to release on 11 April 2025. but was postponed to 25 April 2025.{{cite news , title=Meet Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule: India's unsung heroes featured in Ananth Mahadevan's new film , url=https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2025/04/24/meet-jyotirao-and-savitribai-phule-indias-unsung-heroes-featured-in-ananth-mahadevans-new-film.html , access-date=24 April 2025 , publisher=The Week , date=24 April 2025 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424160047/https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2025/04/24/meet-jyotirao-and-savitribai-phule-indias-unsung-heroes-featured-in-ananth-mahadevans-new-film.html , archive-date=24 April 2025 , language=en


Cast

*
Pratik Gandhi Pratik Gandhi (born 28 April 1980) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi films, theater, and television. He is best known for portraying Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV biographical series ''Scam 1992'' ( ...
as
Jyotirao Phule Jyotirao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. His work extended to many fields, including eradication of ...
*
Patralekha Patralekha Paul (born 20 February 1990), known mononymously as Patralekha, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. Paul made her acting debut with drama film '' CityLights'' (2014), for which she won the Screen Award for Mos ...
as
Savitribai Phule Savitribai Phule (; 3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian educator, social reformer, and poet, widely regarded as the first female teacher of modern India. Along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule, she played a pivotal role in advancin ...
*
Vinay Pathak Vinay Pathak (born 27 July 1968) is an Indian theater and film actor. He has starred in many films including '' Khosla Ka Ghosla,'' '' Bheja Fry,'' ''Island City'' and '' Johnny Gaddaar'' and had a supporting role in movies like ''Jism'', '' ...
as Govindrao Phule * Suresh Vishwakarma as Dr. Vishram Ghole *
Sushil Pandey Sushil Pandey is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and television. He is known for his roles in the ''Jolly LLB'' (film series), '' Inside Edge'', '' Article 15'', ''Anek'' and ''Bheed''. Biography Pandey belongs to Bihar, India. He co ...
as Raja Ram Phule (Baba Ji) * Vishal Tiwari as Tatyasaheb Bhide *
Joy Sengupta Joy Sengupta is an Indian film and stage actor works Bollywood cinema and Bengali cinema as well as theatre. He is best known for his debut feature, '' Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa'' (1998) directed by Govind Nihalani. Sengupta was born in Kolkat ...
as Vinayak Deshpande *
Amit Behl Amit Behl is an Indian theatre, television, and film actor. Behl began his career in 1994 with a role in India's first daily soap opera '' Shanti''. He later did almost 100 TV serials in Hindi, English, Marathi, Punjabi, and Urdu. He has degre ...
as Punchayat Head Brahmin * Akshaya Gurav as
Fatima Sheikh Fatima Sheikh was a 19th century Indian educator and social reformer, who was a colleague of the social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Sheikh is widely regarded as India's first Muslim woman teacher and is remembered for her role ...
* Jayesh More as Usman Sheikh * Dhanjay Madrekar as Lahuji Raghoji Salve *
Darsheel Safary Darsheel Safary (born 9 March 1997) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Gujarati films and television. Safary made his film debut with the leading role of a dyslexic student in Aamir Khan's directorial debut, the critically acclaimed drama ...
as Yashwant * Asit Redij as Vishnupant Thatte * Abhinav Patekar as
Narayan Meghaji Lokhande Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (c. 1848–1897) was the father of trade union movement in India. He is remembered not only for ameliorating the working conditions of textile 18th century but also for his courageous initiatives on caste and communal ...
* Akanksha Gade as Kashibai * Abhinav Singh Raghav as Mangal Deshpande *
Alexx O'Nell Alexander Leonard O'Neill (born 26 July 1980) is an American actor and musician who works in Indian films. He is best known for his roles in the films '' L2: Empuraan'', '' Ae Watan Mere Watan'', '' Khufiya'', '' Golondaaj'', '' Roohi'', '' Aarya ...
as Ribbs Johnes * Ellie as Mrs. Ribbs Johnes


Production

The biopic on
Jyotirao Phule Jyotirao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890), also known as Jyotiba Phule, was an Indian social activist, businessman, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. His work extended to many fields, including eradication of ...
and
Savitribai Phule Savitribai Phule (; 3 January 1831 – 10 March 1897) was an Indian educator, social reformer, and poet, widely regarded as the first female teacher of modern India. Along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule, she played a pivotal role in advancin ...
was announced in April 2022, with
Pratik Gandhi Pratik Gandhi (born 28 April 1980) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi films, theater, and television. He is best known for portraying Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV biographical series ''Scam 1992'' ( ...
and
Patralekha Patralekha Paul (born 20 February 1990), known mononymously as Patralekha, is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. Paul made her acting debut with drama film '' CityLights'' (2014), for which she won the Screen Award for Mos ...
cast as the lead actors. Directed by
Anant Mahadevan Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (born 28 August 1950) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and an actor. Career Anant along with Sanjay Pawar received the National Award (2010) for the Best Screenplay and Dialogues for the successful Marathi ...
, the film aims to depict the couple’s contributions to social reform and education in India. Filming began in April 2023, with key scenes shot to portray the historical narrative. The first look of the film was released on 11 July 2024, showcasing its focus on the reformers. Principal photography was completed by October 2024.


Soundtrack

{{Infobox album , name = Phule , type = soundtrack , artist =
Rohan-Rohan Rohan Rohan is an Indian music director duo of Hindi and Marathi films, various television series, ad films and web series. The duo consists of Rohan Pradhan and Rohan Gokhale and is known for their work in Marathi and Hindi films including '' ...
, released = 22 April 2025 , recorded = 2024–2025 , studio = , genre =
Feature film soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featu ...
, length = {{Duration, m=13, s=06 , language = Hindi , label =
Zee Music Company Zee Music Co. (ZMC) is an Indian music company, a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It carries its business activities mainly from New Delhi. The company has captured a major chunk of market share in Music of Bollywood, Bollywood m ...
, misc = {{External media , audio1 = {{YouTube, B1yvcKmtl4M, Phule - Full Album The music of the film is composed by
Rohan-Rohan Rohan Rohan is an Indian music director duo of Hindi and Marathi films, various television series, ad films and web series. The duo consists of Rohan Pradhan and Rohan Gokhale and is known for their work in Marathi and Hindi films including '' ...
while lyrics are written by
Kausar Munir Kausar Munir is an Indian lyricist and dialogue writer who works in Hindi cinema. Biography Munir was born and brought up in Bandra, Mumbai. She graduated in English Literature from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Munir married actor Nirmal Pa ...
and Sarosh Asif. {{Track listing , headline = Track listing , total_length = 13:06 , extra_column = Singer(s) , title1 = Saathi , extra1 =
Monali Thakur Monali Thakur (born 3 November 1985) is an Indian playback singer. She is the recipient of several awards including a National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" from the film '' Dum Laga Ke Haisha'' (20 ...
, lyrics1 =
Kausar Munir Kausar Munir is an Indian lyricist and dialogue writer who works in Hindi cinema. Biography Munir was born and brought up in Bandra, Mumbai. She graduated in English Literature from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Munir married actor Nirmal Pa ...
, length1 = 4:17 , title2 = Dhun Lagi , extra2 = Romy , lyrics2 = Sarosh Asif , length2 = 4:33 , title3 = Saathi , note3 = Male Version , extra3 = Rohan Pradhan , lyrics3 = Kausar Munir , length3 = 4:16


Release


Theatrical

The biopic Phule, starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa, was initially scheduled for theatrical release on 11 April 2025, coinciding with the 197th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. However, the release was postponed to 25 April 2025, following objections from a section of the Brahmin community in Maharashtra regarding the film's depiction of their community. The
Central Board of Film Certification The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory Motion picture content rating system, film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of ...
(CBFC) requested the filmmakers to make several edits, including the removal of a voiceover referencing the caste system and specific caste-related terms, as well as modifications to certain dialogues and visuals.


Reception


Critical Reception

Saibal Chatterjee Saibal Chatterjee is an Indian film critic, editor and documentary screenwriter. He was a columnist at ''BBC News'', ''Business Standard'', ''Hindustan Times'' and '' The Financial Express''. He has also written for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Tim ...
of ''
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'' gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Pratik Gandhi is the heart and soul of the film, Patralekhaa serves as the ideal foil and Watch Phule not only because it has something to say but also because of the way it says it—with restraint and integrity."
Shubhra Gupta Shubhra Gupta is an Indian film critic who writes for ''The Indian Express''. She received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Best Writing on Cinema in 2012. She was a member of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2012 to 2015. She is the au ...
of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' rated 2.5/5 stars and observed that "Both Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha as Jyotiba and Savitribai do justice to their characters, the latter given more fiery oratorial chances in her pushback against oppression." Hemant Waje of ''
rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
'' rated 3.5/5 stars and commented that "In this era of sensationalism, we should appreciate director Anant Mahadevan for treating Phule with composure and not going overboard." Rahul Desai of ''
The Hollywood Reporter India ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large- ...
'' writes in his review that "This biopic is dry and uninspiring. Phule becomes a cinema of formalities, not expressions and ideas. It’s a pity — a film about forward-thinking figures stuck in creatively backwards waters. In this day and age, the zero-gravity chasm between readymade stories and dramatised storytelling is the biggest sci-fi device of our times." Rishabh Suri of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that "Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa deliver good performances. Overall, Phule is a sincere, important film, dulled by an oversimplistic screenplay and treatment." Abhishek Srivastava of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' rated 3.5/5 stars and said that "Watch ‘Phule’ to witness the inspiring true story of India’s first social reformers who challenged caste and gender norms with courage and conviction." Ganesh Aaglave of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "On the whole, Phule is a must-watch for all the Indians as it is a beautiful tribute to Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule". Sana Farzeen of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' rated 3/5 stars and said "Given how little we know of Jyotirao Phule, the first Mahatma of this country, 'Phule' definitely deserves a watch". Nandini Ramnath of ''
Scroll.in Scroll.in, simply referred to as Scroll, is an Indian digital news publication. Founded in 2014, it is owned by SCSN Pvt Ltd. History Background Samir Patil, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumnus and McKinsey & Company associate wa ...
'' observed that "The film itself douses the more radical aspects of Phule’s singular achievements. Pratik Gandhi is barely present, Patralekhaa marks her attendance more strongly. And so the film trundles on, from one familiar history lesson to the next." Devesh Sharma of ''
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...
'' gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and written that "Phule may not captivate in the traditional sense of a biopic, but it succeeds in educating and honoring two of India’s most important yet often overlooked reformers. It’s a film that opens your eyes, even if it doesn’t always grip your heart." Critics of ''
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...
'' gave 2 stars out 5 and said "PHULE tells the story of a legendary social revolutionary and rests on the towering performance of Pratik Gandhi. But the film greatly suffers on account of a weak script and lacklustre direction."


Political Response

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
MP and
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
Rahul Gandhi Rahul Rajiv Gandhi (; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician. A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he is currently serving as the 12th leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and as the member of the Lok Sabha for Rae Bareli Lok ...
watched the film During his trip to Patna. In a post, Rahul wrote, "During my Bihar visit today, I watched the movie Phule at Inox Mall in Patna along with local social activists, and it moved me deeply. The path of education, equality, and justice is not easy. The lives, struggles, and ideals of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule can guide our society and nation on this path today."{{cite web, title=Rahul Gandhi watches 'Phule' at Patna cinema hall , url=https://theprint.in/india/rahul-gandhi-watches-phule-at-patna-cinema-hall/2626847/, website=The Print, date=15 May 2025


References

{{Reflist


External links

*{{IMDb title, id=tt21108804
''Phule''
at
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...
2025 films Hindi-language films based on actual events Films about the caste system in India 2020s Hindi-language films Indian drama films Jyotirao Phule 2025 biographical drama films Indian films based on actual events Indian biographical drama films Films based on Marathi people