Toilet: Ek Prem Katha Movie Review

 Release Date: August 11, 2017
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Divyendu, Sudhir Pandey, Anupam Kher
Director: Shree Narayan Singh
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes    

This is as real a love story can get. And we are thankful that love doesn’t happen here across 4 continents. Also, no one has lost an engagement ring here and there’s no past life connection. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is the true story of a common man and as the saying goes, truth can be stranger than fiction. The film deals with real issues such as sanitation and explores how it affects the lives of people in the country. But, before you tag it as a documentary, think again, because the filmmakers have done a pretty good job at presenting the story in a way that is a perfect mix of satire, comedy and reality. The movie reveals how a simple thing such as a toilet can remain inaccessible to people due to old customs and beliefs, corruption and lack of willingness on part of government officials.

Keshav (Akshay) is a man desperate to get married, but due to astrological imbalances, his family asks him to wait. Fortunately, Keshav finds Jaya (Bhumi) and after the initial fights, love blooms and they agree to marry. However, Keshav doesn’t feel like telling Jaya that his home does not have a toilet. On the first morning in her new house, when Jaya discovers that there’s no toilet, she gets terribly annoyed and tells Keshav that if she had known earlier, she would not have married him. Later, the issue of not having a toilet flares up even further and Jaya talks about divorce. This really pushes Keshav to rethink his position and work towards getting a toilet built in his house. But, will the traditional beliefs of his family and corrupt government officials allow that to happen?

The movie works because all characters fit perfectly in their respective roles. Akshay is at his satirical best in the movie and he gets the right support from other characters such as the religious Panditji (Sudhir Pandey) and naughty Kaka (Anupam Kher). Bhumi has also delivered a good performance in her role of a feisty woman.

The movie has plenty of LOL moments and lots of sarcasm. It would be worthwhile to explore this innovative love story built around a toilet.