Filmmaker Anant Mahadevan Narayan’s upcoming film Phule, which is based on activist and prominent Indian icon Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, has entered the post-production stages.

The upcoming film will focus on his life and how he went lengths to highlight the importance of education for women and impact of caste system, at the time when India was under the colonial rule.

Speaking to Variety about the film, Anant said, “The two of them are lethal, the husband and wife, because at a time when the girl child was being refused education and just pushed into marriage, Jyotirao chose to actually educate his little wife – she was just 11 at that time, he was 17 when they got married, because it was the time of child marriage.” The filmmaker also said how the problem is still rampant as access to education has not trickled to all the sections of the society even today.

Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa Paul play the lead roles in the film backed by Dancing Shiva Productions’ Ritesh Kudecha, Anuya Chauhan Kudecha and Pranay Chokshi. The makers are planning a festival run for the film in 2024.