Phule: Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan opens up on Pratik Gandhi-Patralekhaa led biopic

On Jyotirao Phule’s 195th birth anniversary yesterday, a biographical film based on the life of the social reformer and his wife Savitribai Phule was announced. Titled Phule, the film stars Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa as Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule. The upcoming film’s director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, recently opened up about the upcoming biopic.

In a conversation with Mid-Day, the filmmaker opened up about the 19th century social reformer, who played a crucial role in furthering women’s education in the country. The filmmaker talked about how the Phules established the Satyashodhak Samaj to care for women who were abandoned or were victims of sexual abuse. Jyotirao, who was the first person in the country to receive the title of ‘Mahatma’, had educated his wife Savitribai. “He understood that if she educated herself and became a teacher, it would serve his mission of having women teachers for young girls,” added Mahadevan.

The director revealed that initially, he was asked by Ritesh Kudecha to helm the Phules’ story as a web series. But Mahadevan believes that the story could take the form of an epic, such as Gandhi (1982) and Lincoln (2012). So he decided to direct it as a biopic. Mahadevan also mentioned that Nadira Babbar was also interested to bring Savitribai’s story to audiences in the form of a one-woman play, directed by him. However, that did not happen.

The filmmaker also talked about the casting choices for the film. While he believed Gandhi was someone who ‘radiates intensity’, he said that Patralekhaa had a kind of ‘earthy quality’. Mahadevan added that he wants to get the film rolling by the end of this year, and has decided on Pune, Nagpur and Nashik as the shooting locations.

The upcoming film, slated for release next year, will be bankrolled under the banners of Content Engineers & Dancing Shiva Productions.