NaMo’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ pet project now to be a film 'Toilet – Ek Prem Katha'

Mumbai: Neeraj Pandey, best known for his film 'A Wednesday', is now backing a love story inspired by true events that is set in the backdrop of the menace of open defecation in our country.

‘Toilet- Ek Prem Katha’ 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 covered and proper toilet facilities in the country.

According to UNICEF reports, around one third of women in the country, primarily in villages, still defecate in the open, leading to health issues, crime against women and overall hygiene concerns. The issue has reached such proportions that Narendra Modi focussed on the same in his first address to the nation as Prime Minister. The Government has committed huge funds and serious attention to its ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ and rates it as one of their top priorities.

Derived from true events, ‘Toilet – EkPrem 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 the house? In recent times, multiple newlywed brides in India have left their husband’s homes because they lacked a toilet.

The film will be jointly produced by Vikram Malhotra.