During the trailer launch of his forthcoming film Kesari Chapter 2, Akshay Kumar was requested to react to critic Jaya Bachchan's harsh comments on his previous film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.
The query was raised during an interaction with the media when Kumar was speaking on whether criticism within the film fraternity ever impacts him.
Akshay first mentioned that he does not typically get negative criticism from industry peers. When a journalist mentioned Jaya Bachchan's recent statement—where she disapproved of the title of the film—Akshay replied with humility and composure.
Responding in Hindi, he said, “Ab agar unhone kaha hai toh sahi hoga, mujhe nahi pata. Agar Toilet: Ek Prem Katha banake maine koi galat kaam kiya hai. agar woh keh rahi hai toh sahi hoga” (“If she has said that, then perhaps it’s correct. I’m not aware of it. If making Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was wrong on my part, and she believes so, then maybe she is right”).
Jaya Bachchan had made these remarks at another public gathering, where she raised an eyebrow at the title of the film. "Just read the title of the film; I would never attend a film with such a title. Yeh koi naam hai? Is that actually a name?" she said. She then faced the crowd and inquired if anyone would be okay with watching a movie called Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Very few people hesitated to raise their hands, leading her to make a joke, "Out of so many people, only four are interested? That's quite sad.
This one's a flop."
Released in 2017, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha dealt with the pressing topic of sanitation in rural India. The film is about Keshav (Akshay Kumar) who gets married to Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar), but their relationship hits a roadblock when she discovers his home has no toilet. What ensues is Keshav's struggle against archaic traditions and social stigma to construct a toilet and regain the trust and respect of his wife.
The film also had cameos by Anupam Kher, Divyenndu, Sudhir Pandey, and Ayesha Raza Mishra as lead characters. It was widely enjoyed for spreading awareness on the need for sanitation and was backed by the Indian government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative.
Focusing attention on his forthcoming film, Akshay's Kesari Chapter 2 explores a lesser remembered chapter of Indian history. The movie delves into the background of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the legal and political struggle that was spearheaded by C. Sankaran Nair—brave attorney and ex-President of the Indian National Congress—against British colonialism.
Kesari Chapter 2 releases in theaters on April 18.
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