At a time when the volume of content being churned out by the film industry often leads to a tussle for screens across India, releasing a small-budget offering alongside three big-budget productions may seem like a poorly calculated move. But April 11 is a date of significance for Anant Mahadevan, given that it coincides with the 197th birth anniversary of social activist Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, on whom his film, Phule, is based.

Mahadevan acknowledges that releasing the movie merely a day after mammoth productions like Prabhas’s The Raja Saab, Yash’s Toxic, and Akshay Kumar’s Jolly LLB hit the theatres may seem daunting for a filmmaker, but he is certain that the Pratik Gandhi and Patralekhaa-starrer will catch the attention of the audience he intends to target. “April 11 is a milestone; a date to celebrate. It is relevant for us to release the film on that day, regardless of which other film is also released. Our date is finalised. In March, we will begin promoting Phule, and ensure that people belonging to each corner of India know what the film is about. I have shot at actual locations, like at a wada [fortress] in Bhor, Kolhapur, and Satara. I did not shoot on a set because my producers, Ritesh and Anuya Kudecha, insisted that the film be made as authentically as possible,” says Mahadevan.