Anurag Kashyap
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has hit out at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and a section of the Brahmin community over the controversy surrounding Phule, the biopic on social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule. The film, directed by Ananth Mahadevan and starring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa, was originally set to release on April 11 but was pushed to April 25 following backlash.
The CBFC granted the film a ‘U’ certificate on April 7 but demanded several edits, including the removal of caste references like ‘Mahar’, ‘Mang’, ‘Peshwai’, and a modification of the phrase “3,000 saal purani ghulami” to “kai saal purani ghulami.” These changes, Mahadevan confirmed, were implemented.
Kashyap didn’t hold back. On Instagram, he questioned the CBFC’s decision-making and criticised what he called a rigged system. “Punjab 95, Tees, Dhadak 2, Phule — I don’t know how many other films are blocked… this casteist, regionalist, racist government is so ashamed to see their own face in the mirror,” he wrote. “They can’t even openly say what bothers them. F***ing cowards.”
A screengrab from Anurag Kashyap’s Instagram Stories
He further raised concerns about how groups protesting films gain access to content pre-release. “How do these wings and groups see the film before its release? Unless someone’s giving them access. The whole system is rigged,” he added.
In another post, Kashyap called out the contradictory rhetoric around caste. “If there’s no caste system, why are Brahmins upset over Phule? Who are you if caste doesn’t exist? Why are you burning with anger? Decide if casteism exists in India or not. People aren’t fools.”
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha also weighed in, questioning the double standards between what’s allowed in political discourse and cinema. “Why should only cinema lie?” he wrote.
Phule is now set to release on April 25.
Published – April 17, 2025 10:29 am IST