The Good, Bad And Worst In Akshay Kumar's Toilet: Ek Prem Katha!

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha has begun to make its mark in the box-office. While the audiences, especially Akshay fans are elated with how the film turned out to be and trade analysts are hoping that it will finally break the box office jinx of 2017, many critics have been thoroughly disappointed with the film.

If you have already seen the film, you’d know exactly the points that mar a few moments in the otherwise good film. Here’s what we felt was the good, bad and the worst in the film (P.S- There will be spoilers, so please watch the film ASAP and come back to read it if you haven’t already:

Good

The storyline of film is pretty much known to everyone. It is very simple and linear. To make a full-fledged commercial film with this story is no easy business. Shri Narayan Singh does that job almost effortlessly. With such simplistic narrative, he weaves an intriguing story that will hold your attention throughout its entire runtime.

The performance in the film is just as strong. Akshay Kumar is his usual self, delivering the emotional and intense lines as beautifully as he is mouths the comic lines. And it might be the second film for Bhumi Pednekar, but she holds her ground in the movie despite the overpowering aura of Akshay Kumar. The supporting cast is also just as good, making the film an enjoyable watch.

The film also shows a man who wants to cook roti for his wife, a man who is not afraid that his mardangi will be at stake if he cries and shows his emotion, and a man who is ok if his wife chooses to work and earn money. It is a big deal because the background of the man is a village in UP. He is shown as a human who wants his wife to enjoy as much freedom as he does himself. This is done through small scenes which are super effective. Mainstream cinema showing something like this is a huge step forward. Kudos to the makers for that!

The cinematography too is brilliant and the simplicity of a small village is captures with perfection. Not just the colors and the festivals, but the orthodox traditions and superstitions that are a part of rural and small towns are brought alive in the film.

Being an editor himself, Shri Narayan Singh has also made sure that the film has no loose points, barring few, which makes us go to the bad part!

Bad

The film might have had a flawless first half, but by the second half it goes out of hand. The personal struggle is raised to a national fight, and the government comes into play. One can easily guess that the way the CBFC had been functioning under the present government, too much criticism would bring problems to the film. So the makers very swiftly showed a few to be corrupt while trying to portray that the government is all goodie two shoes. While that makes some scene sin the film utter non-sensical (read the part where toilets in govt. offices have been closed). But that just makes way towards the worse in the film.

Worse

This takes an even worse turn when the film blatantly turns into an extended ad for Swaach Bharat Mission with all the sauch-soch taglines!

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, the media industry has been portrayed to a mere mike holding entity out there to ask the most stupid questions possible. After that, the lead hero accuses journalists of provoking people without finding a solution. A Jagran journo is just made to look like an utter idiot who is repeatedly made fun of!  Just FYI, journalists do ask questions and that is how many large scams unfold. They bring out the problems that are prevalent but hidden from the people at large! This is just is such bad and poor taste!

Worst

The worst spot would definitely go to the joke that the lead actor’s brother cracks while describing his Bhabhi, who is a buffalo. Akshay Kumar’s Keshav is a manglik and he is married off to a buffalo to get rid of his ‘dasha’. His brother cracks a joke and says “Bhabhi… dudh ki dukaan”. This has been the most disgusting joke we could have come across and nothing can justify this utterly crass point in the film. There wouldn’t have been much difference if this was cut and the audience would have been just as much happy! This was definitely not expected in a movie that is out there to give a social message.