Anurag Kashyap slams protests around 'Phule'
NEW DELHI, Apr 17 (PTI): Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Thursday criticised the protests around the film "Phule", a biopic on social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, questioning why films depicting caste issues get banned in India.
The director also criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for modifications suggested to "Phule".
The biopic, featuring Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa in the roles of the reformist couple, was set for release last week but it will now arrive in theatres on April 25.
After the trailer of "Phule" was unveiled online on April 10, some members from the Brahmin community raised objections stating that they've been portrayed in poor light.
In a series of post on Instagram, Kashyap said the very first play of his career was based on the lives of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule.
"If casteism didn't exist in this country, why did they need to fight against it?"
The makers of "Phule" on April 7 received a 'U' certificate from the censor board, which had asked them to make changes like removing terms such as 'Mang', 'Mahar' and 'Peshwai'.
The modifications also included the visual of 'man carrying a broom', which has been replaced with 'boys throwing cow dung balls at Savitribai', and the line '3000 saal purani gulami' being changed to 'Kai saal purani'.
Kashyap noted that not just "Phule" but Sandhya Suri's "Santosh" and "Dhadak 2" are reportedly also facing censor trouble.
He added Diljit Dosanjh-starrer "Panjab '95" and Dibakar Banerjee's "Tees" to the list of movies that are finding it difficult to release in India.
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Iran warns of ‘uncontrollable consequences’ after energy site strike
Qatar warns residents of ‘Elavated’ threat
Tehran/Doha: Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian has warned that attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure could lead to “uncontrollable consequences” affecting the entire world.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he “strongly condemns” the strikes that targeted the South Pars gasfield earlier in the day.
“Such aggressive actions will not achieve anything for the American Zionist enemy and their supporters. Rather, they will complicate the situation and could lead to uncontrollable consequences that will affect the entire world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has urged residents to remain indoors due to what it described as an elevated security threat.
Authorities have not provided further details, but the advisory comes amid growing concerns over the safety of energy infrastructure and civilian areas in the region.
