‘Phule’ controversy: Director Ananth Madhavan says no cuts are being made, only ‘amendments’

Amid mounting heat surrounding Hindi film Phule, director Ananth Madhavan has clarified that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not demanded for any cuts to be made in the film, only amendments. Additionally, he said that the delay of the film is not because of the direction of the CBFC, but because of the objections raised by the Brahmin community.

In a conversation with news agency PTI, Madhavan said, “They had suggested some amendments, I wouldn’t call it cuts. I want to clarify that there are no cuts as such. We did so. They felt that the film should be watched by youth and everyone and it’s very educative. I don’t know why this whole storm of conflict and counter arguments are happening.”

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Madhavan, who is Brahmin himself, called the dispute “exaggerated and unnecessary” and wants the Brahmin community to know that there is no issue with the film. He hopes that during the two-week delay of release, common ground can be found between the two sides. “We wanted to calm them down, and tell them that, ‘It has nothing what you people are imagining’. We did not want to lose out on the audience... I would rather they come together and see the film peacefully. So, the producer and the distributor got together and thought, ‘Let’s postpone it for two more weeks and clear all the controversies, talk to the media and let it reach them’,” Madhavan said.

The CBFC issued 'U' certificate to the makers on April 7 and requested them to make a few tweaks like removing terms such as 'Mang', 'Mahar' and 'Peshwai', along with the visual of 'man carrying a broom' and replace it with 'boys throwing cow dung balls at Savitribai', as well as the line '3,000 saal purani ghulami' to be modified as 'Kai saal purani', among a few other things.

About Phule

The film chronicles activist power couple Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, and their fight for reform change and women empowerment in underprivilaged India. Backed by Zee Studios, the film stars Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa Paul, Darsheel Safary, and Alexx O'Nell.

The film was initially slated to hit the big screens on April 11 but has now been pushed back by two weeks, with a new release date set for April 25.

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