One of the key aspects of the drama remained the characterization of the two protagonists. In a quick flashback scene, you are witness to the younger versions of Jyotiba Phule and Savitri Phule supposedly interacting for the first time. Interestingly, the conversation between them is on the lines of education with Jyotiba wishing to educate Savitri, whom she fondly responds by the name ‘Sethji’. You can see the amount of respect brewing between the young couple with an underlying tonality that represented the opening act of Laapataa Ladies (2024) in a different context when Deepak proposes to Phool in English for the first time. In that sense, the setting here is an anti-thesis and so are its characters – the characters wish to be educated while the world around them don’t. Here, you are also acquainted with Jyotiba’s philosophy during his interactions with his wife, that stems from the French Revolution or his references to the book ‘Rights Of Man’ by Thomas Paine, something that has shaped his ideology.

You are also acquainted with Jyotiba’s dynamics with his immediate family – he shares a strained relationship with his orthodox father and brother, the latter who is more interested in acquiring the ancestral property without having to share, and the former who frowns at the idea of his son not having any children of their own. They see themselves as Shudras (members of the lower caste), and they are content with it. Elsewhere, Jyotiba’s dynamics with members of the Brahmin community is even worse – they frown even at the idea of him roaming around in the afternoon, even while vandalizing a small school setup for education. In a scene, you also witness cow-dung being flung on Savitribai for her revolutionary reforms, in another, you see them wanting the protagonists to ‘support’ them in their fight against the British to which Jyotiba responds that the only way to fight them is through the right to education as opposed to using weapons , a clear ideological difference that is evident between the two parties.

I must add that there is detailing too with a hint of sensitivity in the representation of Brahmins and the Britishers, all of whom aren’t painted with the same coat. In a scene, you are privy to the character of Ribbs (Alexx O’Nell) who does praise Jyotiba’s contribution to the society while also wanting to support him in his quest for education, although another plot-line involving him wanting to ‘convert’ people into Christianity balances the equation out. Yet in another scene, you are witness to a Brit woman allowing a couple of characters to become teachers despite not meeting the educational qualification, for the larger good, something that did not vilify the entire community. Likewise, there are two instances that standout as far as the Brahmin representation is concerned – in a scene, you see the protagonists reasoning with the barbers about their contributions in the ritual of tonsure, something that is met with realisation and support. A similar scene plays out when the protagonists reason with their perpetrators who had arrived to kill them, something that is again met with realisation. The consistent theme between these two incidents remains of non-violence and education.

Besides casteism, another aspect that the drama briefly touches upon is that of religion. In times of today and the way things stand, it was refreshing to watch the characters of Usman (Jayesh More) and Fatima (Akshayaa Gurav) playing key roles in education while supporting the protagonists without the barrier of religion that could have hindered with the support. The other social reforms of their fight against child marriage, or even shelter for widows did not have a similar impact because they were presented as fleeting incidents as opposed to a proper deep dive into the crucial chapters of their lives. And this remained one of the issues of the film – it fell prey to the trappings of the biopic genre.

One of the issues that I had was with respect to the structure of storytelling in the second hour, that did feel like a Wikipedia page after a point. The emphasis on events like the birth of the Satyashodhak Samaj or even Jyotiba attaining the title of the Mahatma were mere fleeting moments sandwiched between a series of other events highlighting the atrocities that the group were subjected to. The internal conflicts with the British and the Brahmins were also reduced to a broad-stroke at a few places, even as the thought-process remained on packing in as much information about the protagonists in the stipulated time of 2 hours. The intent was right but the impact was marginally reduced, even as the film transitioned into a ‘chapter-narrative’, a major shortcoming in the biopic genre. Yet, the thread that connected the events without allowing to be completely presented as fragments was the ideology of the protagonists that remained consistent. Even the personal dynamic between the couple at the end was heartfelt, and it epitomized a theme of companionship that lasted till their last breath. And still, the writing did not wish to letgo its inherent theme. In a late scene, you see Jyotiba looking up to the skies and exclaiming – ‘temples did close their doors on me here, will the heavens keep the door open for me?’, a beautiful line that summed up the screenplay that had its flaws but still made for a sincere and an earnest watch.