This independence day, I was exited to watch this social message film starring Akshay Kumar the last years’ best actor national award winner. Last night I watched the film in spirit of my expectations, but found it quite unable to leave its impression the way I had expected. Here are the points that caused the film remain as unimpressive I had not expected:
1) Weak love
story: A man of 36 years who already has 18 affairs found his right girl out
side a train toilet in a seen that fails to convince me that it was love at
first site. Similarly, a girl who had no soft corner for the over-aged man
suddenly starts loving her after he deletes his number form her phone. But what
made them fall in deep love remains an unanswered question for me!
2) Overacting:
I found most characters doing more overacting than fitting inside their character.
Specially, the grandmother of Keshav (Akshay Kumar), Shubha Khote. Shubha ji
somehow put no impression of a real village women in the film though the
climax is burdened on her shoulders. I found only divyansu Sharma and Sana Khan
fit in their roles. As younger brother and outgoing girl friend of Keshav.
3) Untouched issues:
The film that revolves around sanitation facilities for women in village
revolves around only the problem of going far away in the grounds where sitting
in open is a matter of shame for women. But this is not the entire thing that
matters. Someone, who had already been in a village where there is no toilet, but there are many other things that matter. There may be rains faced by
people at their fixed place and in their fixed time. Andno body can actually sit on
the same point of place everyday, people need to look for new sitting space
everyday.
4) Failure to
replicate the real rural people: The level of films has upgraded to a point where every set of the film convinces to be real in itself. However, Toilet is
shot around sets with people who fail to represent the real mentality of
rural people. Surprisingly, no one in the village could support Keshav and Jaya’s
demand for closed in-home toilet. However, by the climax all the women start
feeling this need all of sudden.
5) Lack of
perfect story telling: The ten minutes story line shown in more than two hours
film fails to tell us any magnificent intellectual rationally justified actions
of people willing to establish there sanitation need as important as it actually
is. What, by the end, makes all the village people accept toilet in the home
premises seems just the wish of director/producer.
6) No enduring
social message left: The film does not set Keshav or Jaya as intellectuals to
be followed by any village man or women. The hero boasts of his capabilities of
moving the mountains if he really wishes to something becomes helpless crying
surrendering man when he really comes across his fight against the mind set of
people around him.
All in all, for me, Toilet- ek prem katha leaves an impression
of some Nukkad natak instead of being a bollywood movie that could have left me
clapping on any dialogue or seen reinforcing a neat social message.
I thought these are the main pointers which would give it a real feel. A bit disappointed with the film. Thanks for sharing honest opinion.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I haven't watched the movie after reading your review. In India, where main stream cinema has such a huge impact, I wish movie makers would make movies with greater social value and relevance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this review. I too was expecting a lot from this movie. I wish it had dealt with issues that are so relevant in today's times, more seriously.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that the movie is lacking in a lot of details. But I am still somehow glad that this crucial topic was brought to the forefront!
ReplyDeleteI have not seen it yet but heard mixed reviews. I do feel its a good thing they brought a topic like this to the forefront but maybe as a movie, it leaves more to be desired.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the review. I was thinking to go and watch But, Now will wait for TV channel to make premier of the movie
ReplyDeleteI wanted to watch it but after the reviews didnt go. Its sad to know that a movie with social message was disappointing for people. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteLovely honest review Shipra. I was going to watch the movie as the name appealed me a lot. However I believe I will refrain from watching it. The movie I am sure could have been made much better with the larger message that it holds.
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