Written by, April 20 -- Kalpana Pandey

"Phule," directed by National Award-winner Ananth Mahadevan-renowned for films such as "The Storyteller," which combine sensitivity, depth, and artistic merit-has become embroiled in controversy even before its release. Originally scheduled to premiere on April 11, 2025, the film was postponed to April 25, 2025, following objections from certain Brahmin organizations in Maharashtra, which accused it of promoting casteism.

At the heart of "Phule" is the pioneering work of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule-founders of the first school for girls in India and champions of so-called "backward" castes-whose efforts for education and social justice are chronicled against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Ind...