“Toilet” treats the repercussions of the absence of a toilet on the romantic relationship between the leads as Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar) files for a divorce form Kumar’s character (Keshav), citing the absence of a toilet.

:: Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar are making the news for the Indian Romcom “Toilet.”

The movie has created a buzz grossing US$29 million worldwide within the first eleven days of release in August, as director Shree Narayan Singh tackles for the first time the topic of “open defecation;” a persistent problem in rural India.

“Toilet” treats the repercussions of the absence of a toilet on the romantic relationship between the leads as Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar) files for a divorce form Kumar’s character (Keshav), citing the absence of a toilet!

Kumar actually dug a toilet in Madhya Pradesh to create a hype for the movie’s promos, highlighting the social message behind the main theme.

The movie is inspired by the initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who created the campaign Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014, promising to eradicate open defecation and cleaning streets, in rural areas. PM Modi praised the effort behind the film and its message.

The movie resolves the issue of sanitation and its intersection with the traditions and the beliefs of the villagers, with the Kumar’s construction of a toilet in his front yard, and the villagers’ line up to use mobile toilets at the end.