Akshay Kumar, co-stars Bhumi Pednekar, Anupam Kher and producer Bhumi Pednekar were in London as part of their tour promoting Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Set against the backdrop of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to improve sanitation across India, ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ (‘Clean India Movement’), Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is a light-hearted take on open-air defecation in India and the fundamental need to provide households across the nation with a functioning toilet. 

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Speaking about the importance of the issues raised in the film at the media Conference, the film’s lead and global cinema icon Akshay Kumar said, “Last year the government made around 300,000 toilets.

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"The problem is not about infrastructure, but that people themselves don’t want to use them, because of their mind-set; they feel the freedom lies in them defecating in the open.” 

Kumar added, “This is a special film for me.” 

Talking about performing a scene where the lead actress Bhumi Pednekar had to enact defecation in the open, something millions of women experience daily, said, “Personally, the toughest scene that I have ever shot in my career was when I had to actually perform the scene where I was defecating in the open and I just couldn’t do it. 

"There were hundreds of people in front of me and even though I was acting, as a girl it took such a big toll on my self-respect, I felt violated.” 

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Speaking about the film, producer Bhumi Pednekar said “Toilet EPK is an extremely important film for us and whenever you watch it I hope you like it.”

Anupam Kher said, “This movie is an effort to make people aware that the act of open-defecation should not happen. 

"It should be the people’s constitutional right, it should be the birth-right for a child to be able to have a toilet.”

The film’s producer Neeraj Pandey spoke about the role of filmmakers in making films with social messages, saying, “I believe that as story tellers it is imperative that we talk about issues and things that leave an impression…with TOILET: Ek Prem Katha, we have tried to leave an impression and leave something for the audience to talk and think about.”

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Ahead of the conference, Akshay Kumar took his co-stars Bhumi Pedneker and Anupam Kher on a special tour of London in an iconic black cab, where Akshay Kumar gave his fans a special Facebook live show.

Toilet EPK is out on August 11.