Eight years after the release of the Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, director Shree Narayan Singh reflects on the film’s journey, its role in sparking conversations around sanitation, and why the story still resonates with audiences today. In an exclusive conversation, he shares how the project became more than just a movie, it turned into a mission for dignity, love, and change.
How do you look back on this experience?
Reflecting as a director, nine years after ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, I feel both proud and deeply moved by the journey this film has experienced. This film was never just a story for me, it was a piece of my heart, a voice for countless people whose struggles often go unheard.
You mean the scarcity of private toilets?
The lack of a basic facility like a toilet may seem small to some, but it affects health, dignity, and everyday life in ways many can’t imagine. It was an issue we could no longer ignore, and we felt cinema could help bring it out into the open.
Do you think it made a difference to the way the world looks at hygiene?
We wanted people not only to understand it, but to feel it. That’s why I and Garima-Siddharth, writer of the film, wrapped this serious subject in love, laughter, and hope, so the message could reach people’s hearts, not just their minds. When the film connected with millions and became a success, the real victory for me was knowing that somewhere, in some village or town, a family might decide to build a toilet, and a life might quietly change for the better.
The film resonates with the ground reality even today?
Even today, people still talk to me about the movie, and it reminds me that cinema can touch hearts and spark change in ways nothing else can. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha will always be more than a film for me, it was a mission… and a message of dignity, love, and respect that I hope will keep spreading for years to come.
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