Anurag Kashyap addresses 'Phule' censorship row: 'If caste system didn't exist, why are these Brahmin groups getting offended?'

Filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap has expressed concern over the censorship issues faced by Ananth Mahadevan's biographical drama, Phule, the release of which was postponed after a section of the Brahmin community in Maharashtra objected to their representation in the film.

Taking to Instagram, Kashyap questioned why the Brahmin groups are offended if casteism didn't exist in the country.

The Dev. D and Gangs of Wasseypur filmmaker was referring to an instance related to the film Dhadak 2. He claims that “during the screening of Dhadak 2, censor board told us that Modiji has eradicated the caste system in India" and why, "on the same grounds, Santosh couldn't be released in India either."

Kashyap queried further why Jyotiba Phule and Savitri Bai existed when there was no caste system. "Either your Brahminism doesn't exist according to Modiji's claim that there's no caste system in India, or everyone is being fooled. Decide once and for all: Does casteism exist in India or not? People aren't fools. Are you Brahmins or are the ones calling the shots? Decide now.”

Phule, starring Pratik Gandhi, Patralekhaa Paul, Darsheel Safary, and Alexx O'Nell, chronicles the lives of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, and their fight for reform change and women empowerment in underprivileged India.

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.

Earlier, Anant Mahadevan, a Brahmin himself, called the dispute “exaggerated and unnecessary” and wanted the Brahmin community to know there was no issue with the film. He hoped to find, during the delay, common ground between the two sides. “We wanted to calm them down, and tell them, ‘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’,” he had said.

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