Becoming Mahatma, body and soul

A still from the film

Almost two years after actor-director Ananth Mahadevan announced Phule, the Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa-starrer is complete, save for post-production. The director is feeling a wave of pride and relief knowing that he has pulled off what he considers his most ambitious film. Talking about the biopic on social activist Jyotirao Phule, he shares, "Phule is my biggest film to date. The best part was that we hunted down locations in the Maharashtra belt that existed during their time, the 1860s. So, we didn't have to create artificial sets. After Pratik and Patralekhaa got into their costumes, they looked exactly like those portraits that we've seen of Jyotirao and Savitribai."

Ananth Mahadevan

Phule will trace the lives of the social reformer and his wife Savitribai, who together fought against casteism, gender discrimination and championed women's education. Casting his Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) co-actor Gandhi was an easy choice for Mahadevan, given his "effortless performance". "Even as a person, Pratik is simple, grounded and works hard on his role. I like his and Patralekhaa's dedication to their craft. I gave my actors their characters' backstory. But [adopting] the body language and attitude of people of the 1860s in British India was tough for them. The body language of some actors, who play kings and queens [in period dramas], look as if they have just come from the gym. You cannot have modern mannerisms. So, we worked hard on [attaining] the right body language."

The team is now gearing up for an April release. "My producers Ritesh, Pranay and Suunil Jain are planning to release it on April 11, which is
Jyotiba's birth anniversary."