Trailer Talk— Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

After kicking off 2017 in true Akshay Kumar style with the blockbuster Jolly LLB 2, the actor is back to enthral the audience with the much-awaited Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Ever since the film was announced, there has been a lot of speculation owing to the unusual theme and title of the film. And when we finally got a glimpse of the trailer, we must say we were quite taken aback.

The film, inspired by PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachch Bharat Abhyaan’ is the story of Keshav (Kumar), who in true Bollywood style, does his good share of chasing the girl of his dreams, even clicks her pictures secretly and pursues her to the point that she actually ends up marrying him. For those who haven’t seen the trailer yet, the lady in question is Bhumi Pednekar who makes a well-deserved return to big screen after her debut in the 2015 sleeper hit Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Soon after the wedding, Jaya (Pednekar) leaves Keshav when she finds out that her in-laws’ village doesn’t have functioning toilets for women. Most women, out of shame, have to walk down to the fields in the wee hours to do their business. 

What follows next is what we are most excited about—the next half of the film concentrates on how Akshay Kumar walks down the same old road of a simple, goofy man on a mission; this time not just to win back his lady love but also to bring toilets to the entire village. Apparently a story of love and romance but with a serious message highlighting the need for sanitation in rural regions of India.

As much as the premise of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha intrigues, we seriously hope that Akshay Kumar’s character is much more than what we see in the trailer. He has played similar characters in the past and we really hope that he brings something fresh to the table this time around. On the other hand, we’re all set to watch a lot of Bhumi Pednekar in the second half of the year as she has three releases lined up and her fiery avatar really impresses us in this trailer.

The film is directed by Shree Narayan Singh who kicks off his second innings in Bollywood after his forgettable debut with the 2012 film Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai. Even with a name like Akshay Kumar backing him up, it takes some serious guts to pick such an offbeat story for what is practically his debut film. More power to you, Mr. Singh!

Owing to the theme of the film, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Chief Pahlaj Nihalani has already given it a thumbs up and asked for it to be made tax-free, boosting the film further. With a release date of 11 August, a time when patriotic spirits would already be high, the social relevance of the subject and the Akshay Kumar tag could just be the winning stroke this film needs. This perfect formula of a powerful script and star casting might just seal the director’s dream to set sail in Bollywood.

But will it survive the Jab Harry Met Sejal run, which releases on the 4th of August, a week before Toilet: Ek Prem Katha or will it knock the SRK-starrer out of the box-office? We’ll have to wait, to find that out! In the meanwhile, watch the trailer below!

Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Toilet:Ek Prem Katha releases on 11 August 2017.