Toilet: Ek Prem Katha: Akshay Kumar jams with fans, spreads Toilet Ka Jugaad message

Just the announcement that Akshay Kumar would be in Gurgaon over the weekend was enough to drive fans crazy. And, the frenzy was palpable at Gurgaon’s Cyber Hub on Friday evening when the actor, along with his co-star, Bhumi Pednekar, came to promote his upcoming film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha at the 4th season finale of Hindustan Times Friday Jam. The film addresses the issue of open defecation in parts of India, and is based on PM Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

It was a moment of joy for some and a dream come true for others who waited for hours before the scheduled time to catch a glimpse of Akshay. The crowd hooted and cheered for the Khiladi as he arrived in style, waving to the crowd and requesting them not to push as there were many women in the audience.The actor proudly sat on a ‘toilet seat’ and addressed his fans along with Pednekar and Sonal Kalra, Managing Editor, Entertainment, Hindustan Times.

The event began with Akshay talking about his film and soon he surprised everyone, as he danced to the latest song from the film - Toilet Ka Jugaad, which also marks his debut as a playback singer and was released on Friday morning. Putting their dancing shoes on, Akshay and Bhumi again set the stage on fire when they joined the dance troupe that performed on the songs from their film.

The evening also witnessed the presence of some special guests who came all the way to meet Akshay, as they have made efforts to further the cause the film addresses . Among the special invitees was 22-year-old Jabna, India’s youngest sarpanch. Her panchayat Tharjoon, in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, has been declared open defecation free and the cleanest panchayat in the district, due to her efforts. Two other guests were American couple Dean Spears and Diane Coffey whose book, Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development and the Costs of Casts, is based on the issue of open defecation in India, specially in the high density pockets of the country. The couple is working in India as researchers.

Another guest was Priyanka Bharti whose story is similar to the plot of the movie Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. She left her in-laws home a few days after her marriage because they asked her to defecate in the open. She demanded the construction of a toilet in their house, before returning.