Ananth Mahadevan opens up about censorship and controversy around Phule

Ironically, your film is being excoriated for referring to the caste system during a time when we are celebrating Dr. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. Yes, Babasaheb Ambedkar drew inspiration from Jyotiba's doctrine and even considered the couple his gurus. In fact, it was Savitribai who coined the term "Dalit" to replace “Shudra.” Yes, it’s a strange irony that all of this is happening at the same time.

Did you expect this backlash? I do not make films anticipating any backlash. I was making a film on the most fearless couple in India. How could I harbour doubts about the reactions? That would be doing them an injustice.

Why is the film stuck with the censors over its caste references? The film is not stuck at the censor board. We received a clear ‘U’ certificate after submitting the amendments they suggested. Direct references to caste names were probably deemed unsuitable, so they were softened.

We’ve had some notable films on the caste system, from Bimal Roy’s Sujata to Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan. Where does Phule fit in? Yes, we have had several films based on the caste system, but each came in different decades when sensibilities were perhaps mature enough to comprehend the subject. Today, we are in a different zone of thought—perhaps too sensitive. So, reactive forces are louder. Uncannily, that’s exactly the line in our trailer: “We are an emotionally charged people and need to guard against losing our understanding.”

Should censorship be abolished? Certification of cinema is not restricted to our country. There are censor boards in the UK, China, and elsewhere, and each sees a film through a different lens. Eventually, they’re all people, and opinions are personal. It’s up to creative individuals to exercise self-censorship, so we don’t cross the boundaries of artistic freedom.

Where would you place Phule in your body of work? Phule is probably my most challenging film project so far. It required reams of research, careful analysis, and deliberate execution. It’s a film about history that has lived for more than a hundred years—and is just as relevant today as it was then.

Also Read: BREAKING: Pratik Gandhi-starrer Phule in legal tangle over unpaid dues; advocate warns against sale of theatrical, OTT rights without financier’s NOC

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