Actor Pratik Gandhi, who is set to bring the iconic social reformer Jyotirao Phule to life on screen, shared how portraying the legendary figure has been both a rewarding and transformative experience for him. 
The actor, who is gearing up for the release of his next, &ldquo;Phule,&rdquo; revealed that stepping into Jyotirao Phule's shoes not only challenged him as an artist but also left a lasting impact on his personal perspective and understanding of social change. Pratik told IANS, &ldquo;It was difficult in many ways, but also incredibly rewarding. 
Jyotirao Phule&rsquo;s life and the work he did are so profound that it feels almost surreal to portray him. When you talk about his life, it often sounds like a fairy tale&mdash;this person who did so much against all odds. But the truth is, he didn&rsquo;t have any magical powers.&rdquo; &ldquo;His greatest strength was his belief in himself and his courage to stand against societal norms. When we started working on this role, it was a transformative process for me.&nbsp;The more I got into character, the more I felt his essence. The challenge was ensuring that when I portrayed his actions, they did justice to the impact he had.&rdquo; 
When asked about playing a Maharashtrian character despite being a Gujarati, Pratik Gandhi admitted that it was indeed a challenging yet enriching experience. He mentioned, &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t as difficult as it might seem. The cultures of Gujarat and Maharashtra are quite similar, and historically, they were once part of the same Bombay province. The language barrier was minimal because I understand Marathi, although I had to pay attention to the grammar. I&rsquo;ve played Marathi characters before, which gave me some confidence. I also have many friends from Maharashtra, so I felt a certain connection with the culture. Overall, it was not as difficult as I expected.&rdquo;
The film, directed by Ananth Mahadevan, also stars Patralekha as Savitribai Phule. It is slated to release in theatres on April 11, the 197th birth anniversary of Mahatma Phule.&nbsp;
&mdash;IANS

Pratik Gandhi as Jyotirao Phule, deep in thought

Pratik Gandhi Calls Playing Phule Transformative

Phule biopic set to release on April 11

March 28, 2025 | 11:01 IST