Jaya Bachchan recently mocked the title of Akshay Kumar’s 2017 film ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.’ She questioned the choice of the name and called it a “flop film.” However, the film’s producer, Prerna Arora, has responded, defending the movie’s success and significance.
What did Jaya Bachchan say about ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’?
While speaking at the India TV Conclave, Jaya expressed her disappointment with the film’s title. She said, “Just look at the title of the film; I would never go to watch a film with such a name. Yeh koi naam hai? Is that really a name?” She also asked the audience whether they would watch a film with such a title. Seeing that only a few people raised their hands, she remarked, “Among so many people, hardly four people want to watch the film; it’s very sad. Yeh toh flop hai (It is a flop).”
Producer Prerna Arora defends the film
Prerna Arora, the producer of ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,’ expressed her disappointment with Jaya Bachchan’s comments. In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, she stated, “Let me first say that I am a huge, HUGE fan of Jayaji. For me, she is the ultimate. I can watch ‘Guddi,’ ‘Uphaar,’ ‘Abhimaan,’ and ‘Mili’ anytime, anywhere, and feel happy about life. It is, therefore, very hurtful to hear her say that our film ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’ was a flop.”
She also pointed out the film’s strong box office performance. “Ma’am should check the box office figures. Our film earned a very handsome profit. It was one of the five biggest hits of 2017.” Despite Jaya’s remarks, the film performed exceptionally well at the box office. As per Sacnilk, it collected Rs. 316.97 crore worldwide and was among the highest-grossing films of 2017.
The film’s title was a risky choice
Prerna Arora acknowledged that the film’s title was a risky choice but stood by it. She said, “We weren’t sure about the title at first. It seemed risky to have the word ‘toilet’ in the title, especially before ‘A Love Story.’ But eventually, we settled on the edgy title. As a producer, I have taken risks. What is cinema if it only sticks to the expected?”
She further compared this to Jaya Bachchan’s own career choices, stating, “Jaya Ma’am took risks with her role choices all the time. She did ‘Doosri Sita,’ where she played a woman who murders her abusive husband.” Arora also extended an invitation to Jaya Bachchan, saying, “I would love to show it to Jaya Ma’am if she would permit.”
‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,’ directed by Shree Narayan Singh, is a comedy-drama with an important social message. The film highlights the need for better sanitation in rural India and the fight against open defecation. Akshay Kumar played the lead role of Keshav, a man who goes to great lengths to build a toilet at home to bring back his wife, Jaya, played by Bhumi Pednekar.
