Mumbai: The National Award winning actor, popularly known as Bollywood’s khiladi, was the go-to actor for action films in the initial years of his career. Off-late, he is being touted as the flag bearer of patriotism and supporter of diverse social causes through his movies like Rustom, Airlift, Baby and otherwise. And while the choice to spread a social message maybe be an unconscious one, one thing that isn’t; is that each of Akshay Kumar’s films have been complete family entertainers. His latest contribution – Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha will premiere on &pictures, on Saturday, 16th December at 8PM. Having received commercial and critical acclaim, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is a light hearted social drama that sheds light on clashes between generations and ideologies in a traditional Indian family.
A perfect blend of humour, conflict and romance, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha features a stellar cast including Anupam Kher, Sudhir Pandey and Divyendu Sharma. With the help of quirky puns and wordplay, director Shree Narayan Singh delicately weaves together a family that is at the brink of being ripped apart, while helping a father understand and come to terms with the evolution of his modern day progressive son. The film’s music strikes a chord with audiences based on its simplicity and melodious tunes.
So, just what exactly can viewers look forward to? Actor Bhumi Pednekar says, “Jaya’s challenges in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha are the very real issues that several women in our country face today. The movie makes cleanliness and hygiene an important topic of discussion in every home and is a complete entertainment package that caters to the entire family and also subtly delivers a powerful message.”
Commenting on the journey of the movie, Akshay Kumar said, “The writers brought the script of Toilet to me after doing the rounds in the industry for over four years. It went to a lot of heroes, but nobody picked it up. I liked it and I asked Neeraj Pandey with folded hands to give the film to me. I found it very intriguing. I liked the fact that it was a real story. I wondered how these women actually told their spouses that they wanted a divorce because there’s no toilet at home. It was a big step for these women from villages. Even women from the cities wouldn’t take this extreme step. The movie was initially titled ‘ journey of the movie, ‘ but the makers later decided to change it to ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’. People are still talking about it and that means we have managed to create awareness. But we still have a long way to go. I am glad that it is being shown on Television as I have always said I am most interested in the number of people watching the film, driving a change, than the box office collection.”
Welcome to Mandgaon, a small village near Mathura that becomes the epicenter of a fight for a sauchalay. It features Keshav’s struggle to save his marriage with Jaya who moves out soon after their marriage as she is unable to adjust to the fact there is no toilet in her in-law’s home. His roadblocks increase when not only the villagers, but also his family opposes his decision to support Jaya and build a toilet in his house. The movie highlights Keshav’s efforts to strike a balance between his role as a good son and that of a new husband through ingenious situational comedy magic.
Will Keshav’s ingenious plans work? Will he be able to bridge this generational gap causing a rift in his family?
