At a press event for his upcoming film Kesari Chapter 2, Akshay Kumar was asked about recent remarks made by veteran actor and politician Jaya Bachchan, who criticised the title of his 2017 movie Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Jaya Bachchan had dismissed the film during a public interaction, saying she would never watch a movie with such a title. “Is that even a name for a film?” she asked the audience, adding that the film was a “flop” based on the crowd’s lukewarm response when asked if they had seen it.
Caught off guard, Akshay Kumar initially said he wasn’t aware of the comment but responded with a measured tone: “If she’s said something, maybe she’s right. If making Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was a mistake, then I’ll accept that.”
However, he also stood by the intention behind the film. “I’ve made movies like Pad Man, Airlift, Kesari, all with a purpose. I make these films with full honesty. They try to raise awareness, and I believe that counts,” he added. He stressed that films like Toilet and Pad Man are still used by the government to educate people in villages, showing their long-term impact.
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Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, starring Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar, was inspired by real events and tackled the issue of sanitation in rural India. The plot followed a newlywed woman who leaves her husband’s home due to the lack of a toilet, sparking a larger conversation about dignity, hygiene, and outdated traditions. The film earned over £29.7 million (₹316 crore) worldwide and was appreciated for its message-driven narrative.
Jaya Bachchan’s dismissal of the film sparked mixed reactions online, with some agreeing that the title might have put off certain audiences, while others defended the film’s social relevance.
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Meanwhile, Kesari Chapter 2, Kumar’s next film, tells the story of C Sankaran Nair, a prominent lawyer who challenged British colonial power after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Co-starring Ananya Panday and R Madhavan, the film releases on April 18.
Akshay Kumar may have kept his response diplomatic, but his body of work continues to reflect a clear pattern: using mainstream cinema to shine a light on everyday issues, even if not everyone approves of the packaging.
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