Recently, Jaya Bachchan mocked the film ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’.The veteran actress, while speaking at the India TV Conclave, questioned its title and dismissed it outright. She remarked, “Just look at the title of the film; I would never go to watch a film with such a name. Yeh koi naam hai? Is that really a name?” She then asked the audience whether they would be willing to watch a film with such a title, suggesting that very few people would be interested. She further added, “Among so many people, hardly four people want to watch the film; it’s very sad. Yeh toh flop hai (It is a flop).”
However, the response to ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ upon its release back in 2017 was quite different. The film, which tackled the critical issue of sanitation and open defecation in rural India, received widespread acclaim and was a commercial success. Among the notable figures who appreciated the movie was Bill Gates.
Gates took to X (formerly Twitter) to list some of the highlights of 2017 and included the Akshay Kumar-starrer among them. He wrote, “Toilet: A Love Story, a Bollywood romance about a newlywed couple, educated audiences about India’s sanitation challenge.”
Responding to this recognition, the film’s director, Shree Narayan Singh, expressed his gratitude, telling IANS, “I am falling short of words. It’s difficult for me to say this in mere words to express my gratitude towards Mr. Gates for appreciating a simple film like TEPK. But it definitely gives me a big high hearing appreciation from someone like Bill Gates. I mean… wow! Is Mr. Gates aware of any other Hindi film?”
‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ stars Akshay Kumar alongside Bhumi Pednekar and is directed by Shree Narayan Singh. The film highlights the challenges of open defecation in India and the resistance faced in constructing toilets due to deep-rooted societal and religious beliefs. The story follows Keshav (played by Akshay Kumar), who falls in love with Jaya (played by Bhumi Pednekar). Their marriage faces turmoil when Jaya discovers that Keshav’s house lacks a toilet, and she refuses to accept the practice of open defecation. Keshav then takes it upon himself to fight against the traditional mindset of his village and build a toilet, leading to conflicts and societal opposition.
