Phule’ seems to be the latest among the long line of alternative movies that have faced significant hurdles on the way to the big screen, simply for exploring Dalit-Bahujan identities and narratives that mainstream Hindi cinema has often shied away from; and it’s not without a pattern it seems

Hindi cinema, dominated by profit-driven masala films, often glorifies social elites while sidelining Dalit-Bahujan identities and their concerns. Mainstream Bollywood, criticised for promoting patriarchal and casteist stereotypes, rarely embraces cinema as a tool to challenge social injustices. Additionally, it tends to while and their social experiences. Popular cinema hesitates to embrace cinema as a platform for artistic and creative exploration that would unearth orthodox social practices and sensitise the audience about it.