Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 25, 2017)

Who would have thought a mainstream film on the subject of open defecation would have people flocking to the theatres? But that’s exactly what’s happening with Toilet - Ek Prem Katha. The film starring Akshay Kumar has crossed Rs 100 crore and is still holding strong. A couple of years ago, Piku, that had Amitabh Bachchan’s character obsessed with his bowel movements, was a money-spinner.

From constipation to open defecation, sperm donation to erectile dysfunction, vasectomy, menstrual hygiene — topics that were considered taboo in Bollywood are now in the forefront with Hindi cinema undergoing a paradigm shift. Filmmakers and A-list actors are no longer shying away from making movies that deal with personal and intimate issues.

In fact, Akshay’s next, Pad Man, is about a man who made a low-cost sanitary pad making machine, Ayushmann Khurrana, who made his debut playing a sperm donor in Vicky Donor is now suffering from erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, while the Deols — Sunny and Bobby find themselves in a bind when their pictures appear on the poster of vasectomy in Poster Boys.

Change for the better
Amul Mohan, trade anaylst and Editor, Super Cinema says, “Filmmakers, actors and audiences are looking for new content all the time. Also, content with a little bit of shock value that makes people realise their mistakes or shortcomings is in vogue. Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (TEPK) took head-on a situation like open defecation. How you weave that story around normal parameters of a Bollywood film makes all the difference as it’s working well.”

Akshaye Rathi, exhibitor, attributes it to the fact that India as a country as well as people’s mindset has progressed a lot over the years. “This is mainly because the globe is shrinking. There is exposure to content from media — Internet, TV films, etc. from across the world. And since for the longest time, there were no such taboos or boundaries there, that has trickled down to mainstream India. As a result, a lot of things that were spoken behind closed doors earlier, are now commonly discussed.” Aanand L Rai, who is producing Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (SMS), avers that society is ever-changing and growing, and cinema is a platform that reflects this change in the society. “It’s a give and take relationship between audiences and makers, now. We take one step ahead and they give us the courage to take a leap and go and try Piku, TEPK, SMS, etc,” he shares.

The game-changer
While Bollywood has made films on sensitive and topical subjects in the past, too, they were mostly experimental and niche. Vicky Donor was the first mainstream film to bring to light the issue of infertility with the hero playing a sperm donor! Granted, with Ayushmann playing the lead, but the film directed by Shoojit Sircar was a sleeper hit that year. “I didn’t expect the film to be accepted so well. I thought the youth might like it, but never thought families will go together and watch the film because it is such a taboo topic and adult in nature. But saas, bahu, maasi, father, daughter everyone went to see the film, laughed, cried and enjoyed it,” Shoojit says. However, back then, it wasn’t easy for him to make the film. “People, even those from the fraternity didn’t have faith in how it will turn out. A-list actors turned it down, saying how can there be a film on a sperm donor,” reveals Shoojit, adding that these kind of films are difficult to pull of and have to be dealt with sensitivity. “Vicky Donor could have easily gone on the other side of the ring and become a slapstick comedy. As for Piku, a film just on bowel movements and constipation, talking about the colour of sh*t could have been disgusting. It’s up to you how you treat the film,” he Shoojit.

Actors are all for it
At a time when A-list actors turned down the role of a sperm donor, Ayushmann embraced it and now as an established actor, he has taken on the role of a guy with erectile dysfunction. “As a newcomer, I was surprised when I was approached, but when I saw the script, I liked it. Now, my life has come a full circle with this role as a person who suffers from — I won’t say erectile dysfunction, but performance anxiety. I’ve no reservations about playing such roles as long as I trust that the filmmaker will present it in the best manner possible.” Akshay, who lent his name both to TEPK and Padman, in an interview said, “If you are talking about issue-based stories like Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, I think being a successful actor by the grace of God, if my association gives the film a better mileage and if the story intrigued me, I do it.”

Talking point
While TEPK has begun a conversation on the issue of open defecation, the youth is piqued with the trailer of SMS. They are curious to know the problem Ayushmann’s character undergoes with his fiancee. Says Amul, “While people may not discuss issues like these at their dinner tables, these have become talking points when friends and family get together. They may praise or disregard the film, but the conversation has started.” Agrees Bhumi Pednekar, who starred in TEPK and is part of SMS, “We live in a time when, especially in our society, we don’t speak about a lot of things. And then, you watch a film that speaks about it and the talk becomes easier. Films like Pad Man, Toilet and others start a conversation which should have started 20 years ago, so I definitely feel these films should be made. It helps our society evolve.”

The icing on the cake is these films are being welcomed by the audience. RS Prasanna who has helmed the hit Tamil film Kalyan Samayal Saadhal, the original of SMS almost four years ago, says the youth of new-age India is confident about questioning themselves. “They relate with these stories,” he shares. And as Amul puts it, “Films that were earlier considered niche have now found a sweet spot where it is translating into box-office success.”