[4] He wanted to pursue his gardening career forward, but due to lack of financial support, he could not start his own plant nursery.

His composing for the drama Yedya Gabalache Kam Nahi during the 1957 Lok Sabha elections garnered him fame.

It was based on this success that he was offered his first movie Ek Gaav Baara Bhanagadi, by Anant Mane in 1968.

Some of his notable film roles include: Hindurao Dhonde Patil, a zamindar and a sugar tycoon in Samna, a power-drunk politician in Mahesh Bhatt's Saaransh and a political journalist in Jabbar Patel's Sinhasan.

[4] He also played the role of 'Nathu Mama' in the 1983 hit Hindi movie Coolie where he worked with Amitabh Bachchan.

One of Phule's most notable theatrical performances include his role as the eponymous hero of Vijay Tendulkar's Sakharam Binder (first staged in 1972).