PM's 'Swachh Bharat' project set to be a motion picture

BOMBAY TIMES (July 2, 2015)

Producers Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia of Friday Filmworks and Vikram Malhotra, CEO and Founder, Abundantia Entertainment, join hands for the film, Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. The title brings an instant smile to your face and when you delve more into the plot, the curiosity only increases.

Rated as one of the finest directors in Bollywood, Neeraj Pandey (A Wednesday, Special 26 and Baby) is now backing this fun love story inspired by true events. The movie is set against the back drop of the menace of open defecation in India. Vikram has previously collaborated with Neeraj and Shital on the widely acclaimed, Baby.

The backdrop of the film is a love story that is intermingled with the life and travails of millions of Indian women who are forced to defecate in the open, before sunrise and after sunset, due to the lack of proper toilet facilities in the country. According to UNICEF reports, around one-third of women in Indian villages, still have to relieve themselves in the open, leading to health issues, crime against women and overall hygiene concerns.

The issue is so grave that Narendra Modi focussed on the same in his first address to the nation as Prime Minister on Independence Day last year. The Government has committed funds and serious attention to its 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' and rates it as one of its top priorities.

Derived from true events, Toilet - Ek Prem Katha is a satirical and comic take on this serious issue. What happens when two people in love cannot be together because of the lack of a toilet in their house? A Times of India report said that in rural India, six brides actually returned to their parents' homes because their in-laws didn't get them proper loos and they vowed to go back only after this basic facility was provided to them. The film is set to take this thought forward in a lighthearted yet effective manner.

Says Shital, “The one line of this film is simple, 'Log pyaar mein apni biwi ke liye Taj Mahal banwate hain, yeh kahani uss aadmi ki hai jisne apni biwi ke liye toilet banwaya!' This story is also about a broad-minded girl, who, along with other women, attempts to bring about a social change and give women their dignity. It is a love story in a never-seen-before setting.“

Vikram adds, “Rarely do you come across a concept and a script that has a social message woven into it in such an entertaining manner. The story of this film is funny, heart-warming and hugely impactful. It's the kind of movie that today's youth will easily relate to.“

Penned by writing duo Garima-Siddhartha (Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela) this film is set to go on floors later this year. It will be shot on real locations to keep the authenticity alive.