Patralekhaa: ‘Savitribai Phule was among India’s earliest feminists’

Patralekhaa, who plays Savitribai Phule in the upcoming Phule, says the reformer’s ‘progressive’ thoughts and fight for women’s education resonated with her

With Phule, director Ananth Mahadevan and lead actor Pratik Gandhi are set to chronicle social reformer Jyotirao Phule’s efforts in fighting casteism and championing women’s education. And where there is Phule, there is his wife Savitribai Phule, who matched him step-to-step in working towards women’s empowerment. The director says that while his April 11 release is a tribute to the social reformer, it also celebrates Savitribai and her colleague Fatima Sheikh. The duo became the first Indian female teachers outside the domain of missionary supervision and paved the way for other women to enter teaching in India.

Mahadevan says that while developing the script, he was fascinated by the friendship between the two women. “When Jyotiba and Savitribai were found running discreet schools for girls, a showdown happened between the panchayat and them. The two left home and went to his old friend Usman Sheikh. There, Savitribai and Usman’s sister Fatima became friends as they fought discrimination together. They never had any Hindu-Muslim divide,” he states.

Ananth Mahadevan

While Patralekhaa steps into the shoes of Savitribai, Akshaya Gurav—recently seen in the Marathi movie Raanti (2024)—portrays Fatima. Though she had studied about Savitribai’s achievements, Patralekhaa says the movie familiarised her with the person behind the educator. “She was among India’s earliest feminists. When Ananth sir narrated the script, I knew I wanted to be a part of this story. I connected with her progressive thoughts and how empowered she was in that era. Savitribai believed in educating the girl child. She not only fought for the rights of widows, but also challenged the inequalities in the caste system.” Gurav considers it an honour to bring the story of two women who defied societal norms. She asserts, “Some stories demand to be told. It was an opportunity to pay tribute to those who paved the way for the rights we sometimes take for granted today.” 

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