Akshay Kumar urges positive talk about sanitation

Mumbai: "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" actor Akshay Kumar, who took on the unveiling of 24 toilets over 24 hours on Instagram on Monday, says his aim is to spread a wave of positive conversation about sanitation across the country.

He believes that toilet is a taboo subject, but he wants people need to realise that it is a crucial part of everyday life. 

On Monday, Akshay began unveiling images of 24 toilets across smaller villages in Jaipur, Delhi, Rewri, Mohali, Karnal, Panipat, Kota, Yamuna Nagar, Narnaul and Gurugram, on social media via Instagram, read a statement from Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

The activity is reflective of the ethos of "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha", which strives to address the subject of open defecation in India, in an entertaining manner.

Talking about it, Akshay said: "Toilets can be such a taboo subject, but it's such an important part of everyday life that many of us take for granted. This campaign is a small, but hopefully impactful contribution from the team of 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' towards giving the people in these cities a much needed resource, and making sanitation a part of their conversations in a positive manner."

"We hope that through the movie, and this campaign, we can bring more awareness to such an important issue," he added. 

Commenting on the association, Rudraup Datta, Marketing Head, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, said: "It is often said that cinema is an agent of social change and with 'Toilet Ek Prem Katha' we have a complete family entertainer which highlights one of the biggest issues faced by our country; open defecation. 

"Thanks to Akshay Kumar, we have been able to implement the campaign for 24 toilets/24 hours as an effort to take this mission to the ground level, driven by Caya. With Instagram on board, we can leverage it digitally and reach out to millions of consumers and hope to inspire and encourage them to join the fight against this stigma."

Directed by Shree Narayan Singh, the film is a satirical take on a battle against the age old tradition of open defecation in the country. The movie will release on Friday.