No Cuts, Just Amendments! 'Phule' Director Ananth Mahadevan Calls Controversy “Exaggerated and Unnecessary”

‘Phule’ director Ananth Mahadevan has clarified that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not demand any cuts to the film but merely suggested a few amendments. In a statement to PTI, he explained that the film’s release was delayed due to objections from the Brahmin community, not the CBFC recommendations.

“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,” Mahadevan said. “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, I think it's a little exaggerated and unnecessary.”

The biopic, based on the lives of social reformers Jyotirao Govindrao ‘Phule’ (played by Pratik Gandhi) and Savitribai ‘Phule’ (played by Patralekhaa), was originally set to release this Friday. It will now hit theatres on April 25.

Mahadevan attributed the delay to the backlash sparked by the trailer, particularly on social media. “The Brahmins got carried away by a two-minute trailer... It has nothing what you people are imagining,” he said. “We did not want to lose out on the audience... The producer and the distributor thought, ‘Let’s postpone it for two more weeks and clear all the controversies, talk to the media and let it reach them’.”

The CBFC granted ‘Phule’ a ‘U’ certificate on April 7, suggesting minor changes such as replacing certain caste references and modifying visuals. The trailer, released April 10, prompted criticism from some Brahmin groups who felt the film portrayed them negatively, with Hindu Mahasangh’s Anand Dave voicing his opposition publicly.