Toilet Ek Prem Katha Movie Review

Akshay Kumar has been hitting it out of the park recently by choosing to do innovative movies with a patriotic or a social angle (Baby, Airlift, Rustom, Jolly LLB2). And this strategy has started paying back very well for him. Now he’s back with another rooted patriotic (?) film in the form of Toilet Ek Prem Katha. The trailers have promised us a rooted film based in the Hindi heartland of India which highlights and brings to the fore an important social evil about the country. But that would mean nothing if the film isn’t entertaining. Is it?

Story: Keshav (Akshay) is a manglik and has to marry a cow to get rid of his manglikness. He’s 36 and still unmarried but eventually he sees a girl Jaya (Bhumi), who is a college topper and is almost a dozen or so years younger than him. He goes after her and clicks her photo and even uses her pics while advertising his cycle shop. Jaya flips out on him but as it always happens in Hindi films, she cools down and falls in love with him. They finally get married.. and that’s when shit hits the fan. Jaya discovers that there’s no toilet in Keshav’s house and all the women have to go to the fields to finish their early morning work. She decides to try it out but discovers perverts who follow the women during their activities. She gives Keshav an ultimatum to build a toilet in the house but Keshav’s father doesn’t want that because he thinks of a toilet in the house as an evil thing. Jaya leaves. Keshav has to then fight not only his father but also the government machinery and bureaucracy to get what his wife needs.

Toilet Ek Prem Katha Review

Toilet Ek Prem Katha Review

Review: Toilet Ek Prem Katha has all the makings for an uplifting important social message but the message gets bundled first by the love story which takes too long to come to fruition, and then by the overstretched fight of Keshav against the whole system. And what’s even more bothersome is that the film tries its level best not to anger the ruling government (a case of corruption shown in the film conveniently happened 5 years ago). But having said that, not all is lost with this film. It has its heart set in the right place. The love story is very rooted to desi values and the courtship period can be termed as cute (urban folk might call it stalking). Shree Narayan Singh, the director, tries his best to imbibe masala elements to this PSA of a film but misses out on subtlety which holds the film back. Thankfully enough though, Toilet Ek Prem Katha doesn’t bore too much even with its almost 3 hours long running time. And the story of a man fighting the system can be inspiring to a lot of people.

Toilet Ek Prem Katha has been shot in the Mathura region of the country. The camerawork isn’t great but it sticks to the directors plan and keeps things simple. The production design is shabby and costume design is authentic. The editing of Toilet Ek Prem Katha is a bit lazy because there’s no reason the film needed to be this long (2:45 minutes). The music is average with none of the songs making a huge mark. Hans Mat Pagli, Lath Maar and Bakheda all work well within the context of the movie.

Acting: Akshay Kumar looks a bit jaded but his look is spot on. And he is in fine form as Keshav, the naive but middle aged newly married husband who wants his wife back. He makes all the right noises with his dialogue delivery and mannerisms. It is great to see an Indian superstar regularly talk about social upliftment in his films. Bhumi Pednekar returns in her second film after Dum Laga Ke Haisha, and she has the potential to become the lead actress in movies which are set in the Hindi heartland of the country. She plays her part well, and with confidence but gets overshadowed by the stardom and presence of Akshay Kumar. Divyendu Sharma is there as a comic sidekick and does his job well. Sudhir Pandey, the veteran actor, is an effort of fine casting and is perfect in his role. Anupam Kher’s presence in the film officially makes it a ruling government manifesto.

Conclusion: Toilet Ek Prem Katha can be grating; it is overstretched, has a needlessly long love story but eventually it has its heart set in the right place. It highlights one of the most important problems prevalent in our country today – open defecation. And even if it convinces one family to build a toilet it would have done its job. What also helps the film is that it doesn’t bore much even with such a long running time. Films with a socially important message need entertainment to make it work and Toilet ends up being a film that is not short on the entertainment factor. Cityfolk might have trouble connecting with the film’s plot but rural folk are sure to like the film’s rootedness.

Pros:

  • Akshay is in fine form in this socially relevant film
  • Highlights an important evil of India
  • There are not many boring patches in the film
  • Bhumi Pednekar is confident
  • Casting is appropriate

Cons:

  • Didn’t have any business being almost 3 hours long
  • Love story part is too stretched
  • Can come across as a propaganda film
  • Technically not a lot of attention has been paid to the aesthetics of the film

Rating: ★★★☆☆

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95 Comments

  • Looking like another 100 crore grosser…the difference between akshay of last decade and this…is his transformation and choice of films as an actor…he is now one fo the bests in the industry…he is slowly making ut it to thr big league…and currently the only actor to come close to khans….hope 2.0 gives him a great boost…while srk had done sone outstanding acting in last decade…his choice is letting him down…hope he comes back with don 3 (less expectations with dwarf film) salman’s film with remo after tzh us not at all promising…abd audience have become smart…so maybe dabaang 3 or kick 2 may not work at this time …though I wish all the best to all of them…feel sorry for hritik …extraordinary actor…hqve everything. ..bt no idea why he does so less films…it could be accepted had he chosen films like aamir…hope he bounces back

    • bro ALR gave critically as well as commercially success TWMR seres Raanjana even films under his banner quit accepted well next one coming, srk playing drawf first time its the different than all films srk done past yes risky but potential to be srk biggest hit ever

  • TEPK – Good Movie

    Akshay Kumar is totally brilliant and powerful
    over all content of the movie is new
    i think 4 stars is better @ Indicine
    do watch guys i enjoyed a lot !

  • Dear Admin
    I have some requests being a daily follower of your site that please :
    • Update top actors(male & female) rank after tepk lifetime collections prediction
    • give ur reviews of all movies this year like you share critics’ of every movies

  • The new found patriotism of akshay! A big fan of akshay once but his opportunism out of insecurity has lost a fan 4 some years now! Trying to cash in the sentiments of people exploited by polticians! Very open now on issues which dont question the govt but goes silent on anything directed towards the government! Hypocrite!
    As for the movie, hope it does well for the industry!

  • SRK is over

    Akki is bigger than SRK now

    Tepk is a universal film with Desi feel

    It will do 25cr opening and since there are many big holidays it will cross 250cr in lifetime

    • Akshaya openly cynically demonstrates patriotism, openly cynically demonstrates charity – it’s disrespect to the audience that we are so naive and stupid…Why there was no patriotism and charity the previous 25 years?
      Akshay is a lie and hypocrisy in everything and everywhere … In the cinema since 1991, only in 2016 I remembered about the army, having already changed the citizenship of India for Canada

  • Akshay in fine form, Bhumi confident and appropriate casting…aren’t the points all similar ? Anyway Toilet was expected to be a hugely critically acclaimed film but many critics say it’s a propaganda film that loses itself in the second half… Is it gonna be another failure for the industry ? :/

  • God i cant believe this is the guy i have been a fan of since 1993 when i saw him do the handstand in Saughand. His boot licking behaviour towards this government is getting out of hand. Love your country is good but showing it only to please your leader is called phony or suckingup. Yuckie!

  • 3/5..so u mean its as good as ‘Half Girlfriend’? I’d give this 3.5/5 and HGF 0.5/5 (only coz the songs were amazing)

  • Seems like u hv reviewed tepk considering it totally a social message film.
    Makers hv always said that they are presenting a message with humour.
    It deserves 4*

  • now what to say @indicine u accused JHMS as highly boring and predictive now what about this one it’s story could have been predicted even before the release of the movie it really should have sticked to it’s original release date as it’s not a big holiday movie theaters are empty multiplexes record no occupancy what so ever if it would have sticked to it’s original release date then also it would have opened on the same level it just not brought down its own collection but have also created too much of fuss for the release dates this year like Diwali looks crowdy in August back to back 4 big released in the span of 4 weeks like wise if he had sticked to it’s original release date then JHMS along with all movie would have got ample amount of time to grow now industry has lost one major grosser in form of JHMS if it would have got this long weekend

  • i just watched movie the first half is ok but second half is wrost movie of year . another flop for bollywood , it can get hit status becasue of low budget for canadian waiter

  • its 2Hr 35Min not 3 hour @indicine and is a near close to perfect blend of Stairical Comedy, Romance and Drama. Must watch for all Desi Cinema lovers and not for the European kind.

  • Why is boredom emphasised so much in this review?? Urban folks call is stalking cuz it is stalking??? Local call is cute smashed it

  • Watch it…. FANTABOLOUS 9/10
    Best of the year easily
    Akshay the strongest contender for national award yet again ?

  • Social message.
    Only anti modi can see it as propaganda.

    Yes akshay is becoming a national hero and doing these movies basically for himself in first place to be a huge superstar .
    But nothing wrong in that because what he is doing is not wrong and he is delivering good messages to all in every movie . .
    Then what’s the problem of the audience if akshay is benefiting from this as a star !!!!!

    Akshay knows what to do and when to do .
    Unlike others. I mean srk who is despetrly trying every kind of movie to retain his position and Still failing.

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