Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Rating 7/ 10

Directed by Shree Narayan Singh

Starring:

Akshay Kumar as Keshav

Bhumi Pednekar as Jaya Joshi

Anupam Kher as Kakka

Divyendu Sharma as Naru

Toilet- Ek Prem Katha is the clever satirical story of the battle against an old practice of open defecation in India. From the panchayat to the sanitation office, from the government to the superstitious villagers, from the first love in middle age to marriage, Toilet covers all. It’s worth watching for the social issue which has remained unaddressed far too long, if not for its entertainment value.

Keshav is a thirty-six year old high school dropout who manages his family’s bicycle store. The son of a Brahmin who eagerly awaits marriage, he instead finds himself getting married to a buffalo named “Mallika” by his orthodox father to neutralize his ‘maanglik’ astrological stars. Keshav soon meets the bold educated Jaya, whom he falls in love with and eventually marries.

As it turns out, Jaya is understandably upset when she realizes that there is no toilet in the house. She eventually asks for her own private bathroom, as any sane human being would. And thus, this rarely talked about problem is brought to light and a dialogue is opened.

Pednekar is iridescent as Jaya, whose father-in-law expects servility and unchallenged dutifulness, baffled by his outright refusal to build a toilet - with regards to old Hindu traditions that expect toilets to be as far from the courtyard as possible. Akshay Kumar brings a vitality to his own role, blending comic timing with a serious issue, creating a brilliant satire.

Toilet is an accurate representation, depicting the apathy of elders in whom tradition and primitive values are too ingrained for their own good (and the good of others). To prove their point, the filmmakers brazenly reference the tragic 2014 Uttar Pardesh incident when two girls were assaulted and lynched after they went out late night to relieve themselves.

Keshav is a man who bolsters his wife’s cause and in doing so, initiates unrest. He’s fun to watch and easy to relate to. His sole helper is his only sibling, Naru, who is in all honesty hilarious. While Keshav's battle to public access to bathrooms feels like a purposeful publicity vehicle for Modi's Swachh Bharat, the film perfectly uncovered a cross-area of the profound issues impeding advancements.

Shree Narayan Singh's story tries to adjust a romantic tale with a social issue that has plagued the nation far too long. The screenplay however moves at a moderate pace. The film gets long winded in the second half while the first half moves slowly, driven only by virtue of the characters and humor. Some scenes were flat out unconvincing like the “lota party’s” rebellion against their husbands for a bathroom.

Despite an imbalance in narrative, Toilet- Ek Prem Katha, even with all its minuses incorporates a unique social message with an entertaining combination of humor, energy and liveliness, making it worth the watch.

If you enjoyed Toilet, check out Amitabh Bachan’s crime thriller, Pink, in which he defends a group of women in court for alleged prostitution.

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