Actors
Pratik
Gandhi
and
Patralekhaa
are
set
to
headline
a
film
based
on
the
lives
of
noted
social
reformers
Jyotirao
Govindrao
Phule
and
his
wife
Savitribai
Phule,
makers
announced
on
Monday.
The
Hindi
film,
titled
"Phule",
will
be
written
and
directed
by
Ananth
Narayan
Mahadevan.
The
first
look
of
"Phule"
featuring
the
"Scam
1992"
star
and
Patralekhaa,
was
released
on
Jyotirao
Phule’s
195th
birth
anniversary.
The
film
is
backed
by
Content
Engineers
and
Dancing
Shiva
Productions.
Gandhi
said
it
is
a
"real
honour" to
showcase
the
social
reformer's
legacy
to
the
world
through
the
film.
"'Phule'
is
my
first
biographical
film
and
even
though
the
challenges
are
huge,
given
the
fact
that
he
was
such
an
inspirational
Indian
leader;
it’s
also
a
dream
role
and
I
can’t
wait
to
get
started.
I
remember
saying
yes
immediately
after
hearing
the
narration.
Some
characters
just
come
to
you
and
I
am
glad
that
Ananth
sir
came
to
me
with
this
film.
It’s
wonderful
that
Content
Engineers
and
Dancing
Shiva
have
taken
the
responsibility
of
telling
an
unexplored
part
of
Mahatma
Jyotiba
and
Savitribai
Phule’s
life
to
the
millennials," the
41-year-old
actor
said.
Patralekhaa,
best
known
for
her
role
in
Hansal
Mehta's
"City
Lights",
said
she
is
certain
the
film
will
stay
with
her
"long
after
it
is
over".
"I
grew
up
in
Shillong,
Meghalaya,
which
boasts
of
a
matriarchal
society
so
gender
equality
is
very
close
to
my
heart.
Savitribai
joined
hands
with
her
husband
to
start
the
first
indigenously-run
school
for
girls
in
Pune
way
back
in
1848.
"Mahatma
Phule
also
championed
widow
remarriage
and
together
they
set
up
an
orphanage
to
prevent
infanticide.
This
is
one
film
that
will
stay
with
me
long
after
it
is
over," the
33-year-old
said.
Mahadevan,
who
has
directed
films
like
"Mee
Sindhutai
Sapkal",
"Gour
Hari
Dastaan"
and
"Bittersweet",
said
the
country
has
many
inspiring
stories
that
are
"still
unknown
or
for
some
reasons
kept
under
wraps
by
historians."
"Films
are
a
great
way
to
connect
the
younger
generation
to
these
unsung
heroes.
Jyotiba
and
Savitri
Phule
are
the
torchbearers
of
social
revolution
in
India
and
I
couldn’t
have
asked
for
a
better
cast
and
team
that
is
backing
this
project,"
he
added.
Produced
by
Raj
Kishor
Khaware,
Pranay
Chokshi,
Saurabh
Varma,
Utpaal
Acharya,
Anuya
Chauhan
Kudecha
and
Ritesh
Kudecha,
"Phule"
is
slated
to
release
in
2023.