April 11, 2025: Actor Akshay Kumar, currently promoting his upcoming film Kesari Chapter 2, addressed a reported remark made by veteran actress and politician Jaya Bachchan regarding his 2017 film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. During a recent press conference in Mumbai, a journalist brought up an old comment attributed to Bachchan, where she allegedly said she would not watch the film because it had the word “toilet” in the title.
Responding with a calm demeanor, Akshay said:
“Ab agar unhone kaha hai toh sahi hoga, mujhe nahi pata. Agar Toilet: Ek Prem Katha ek aisi film banake maine koi galat kaam kiya hai… agar woh keh rahi hai toh sahi hoga.”
(If she has said it, then it must be right. I don’t know. If I did something wrong by making a film like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, then… but if she’s saying it, it must be right.)
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Released in 2017, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha starred Bhumi Pednekar alongside Akshay Kumar. The film was based on a real-life story of a woman who refused to return to her husband’s home due to the absence of a toilet. It addressed a crucial social issue — sanitation in rural India — and aimed to support the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission).
The film received both critical acclaim and commercial success, praised for highlighting an important cause through mainstream cinema.
Meanwhile, Akshay is gearing up for the release of Kesari Chapter 2, the sequel to the 2019 historical action-drama Kesari, which starred Parineeti Chopra. The new chapter explores a different narrative, focusing on an emotional courtroom drama. The film stars Ananya Panday as a passionate law student and R. Madhavan as a powerful legal opponent, Neville McKinley.
The trailer for Kesari Chapter 2 was released earlier this month, offering a glimpse into a gripping legal battle filled with emotion, justice, and high-stakes arguments. The film is set to hit theatres on April 18.