Tag: Anupam Kher

  • Curtain call: DTF returns with starry season 6

    Curtain call: DTF returns with starry season 6

    Delhi Theatre Festival, Alchemist Live, Prabhu Tony, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Lillete Dubey, Denzil Smith, Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Makarand Deshpande, Kumud Mishra, Pankaj Kapur, American Express, M3M India, Siri Fort Auditorium, NCUI Auditorium, OP Jindal Auditorium, Aurum Conventions, Gurugram, Delhi NCR

    MUMBAI: Delhi’s drama scene is ready to steal the spotlight once again! The Delhi Theatre Festival (DTF) is back for its sixth season, promising a show-stopping celebration of storytelling, stagecraft, and star power. Set to unfold from 14th to 16th November, the festival will light up four iconic venues across Delhi NCR, Siri Fort Auditorium, NCUI Auditorium, OP Jindal Auditorium, and Aurum Conventions in Gurugram.

    With American Express returning as the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year and M3M India powering the event, DTF Season 6 is shaping up to be a blockbuster on and off stage. American Express platinum card members even enjoyed an exclusive presale window and special savings on tickets, a fitting reward for loyal theatre buffs.

    This year’s lineup reads like a who’s who of Indian theatre royalty. Naseeruddin Shah returns with Einstein, Anupam Kher brings Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, and Lillete Dubey and Denzil Smith take the stage with Autobiography. Audiences can also look forward to Rajat Kapoor’s directorial Karamjale Brothers starring Vinay Pathak, Makarand Deshpande’s beloved Sir Sir Sarla, Kumud Mishra’s Dhumrapaan, and Pankaj Kapur’s Dreamz.

    “Over the past five seasons, DTF has grown from a city event into a cultural landmark,” said Alchemist Live CEO and co-founder Prabhu Tony. “With Season 6, we’re scaling up with premieres, legends, and new voices, all sharing one stage.”

    Echoing the sentiment, Naseeruddin Shah shared, “Every season brings a new energy and audience, that’s what keeps theatre alive.”

    With 12 plus shows and an expected 15,000-strong audience, DTF Season 6 is set to be the grandest edition yet. For Delhi’s theatre lovers, this November isn’t just about drama, it’s about centre stage, standing ovations, and a festival that promises to make every act count.

     

  • OTTplay Awards 2025 takes centre stage with a star-studded celebration

    OTTplay Awards 2025 takes centre stage with a star-studded celebration

    MUMBAI: Mumbai’s entertainment scene sparkled brighter as the OTTplay Awards 2025 rolled out the red carpet at JW Marriott on 22 March, bringing together the finest in digital storytelling under its ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ banner. The third edition of the only pan-India OTT awards was a grand spectacle, uniting stars and creators from across languages and regions to honour the best in streaming content.

    The night was a triumph of storytelling, with major accolades going to Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Girls Will Be Girls, Poacher, Freedom at Midnight, Black Warrant, and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.

    The acting honours saw Manoj Bajpayee (Despatch) and Anupam Kher (Vijay 69) take home Best Actor (Popular and Critics, respectively), while Kajol (Do Patti) and Parvathy Thiruvothu (Manorathangal) claimed Best Actress titles.

    The web series category delivered emotional highs, with Jyotika (Dabba Cartel) winning Best Supporting Actor (Female) and presenting the Critics’ Best Actress award to Nimisha Sajayan (Poacher) in an on-stage moment that radiated camaraderie.

    Other winners included Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok 2) and Raghav Juyal, bagging Best Actor (Male) in the Critics’ and Popular categories, respectively, while Aditi Rao Hydari earned recognition for her performance in Heeramandi.

    The evening also saw a blend of generations, with industry veterans Anupam Kher and Shekhar Suman cheering on Patralekha, who won Breakthrough Performance (Female) Series for IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, while her husband Rajkummar Rao led a standing ovation.

    Adding a touch of nostalgia, Kunal Kohli presented Kajol with her award, reigniting Fanaa memories for Bollywood buffs.

    The night was filled with iconic reunions, including The Family Man trio Manoj Bajpayee, Priya Mani, and Neeraj Madhav, sharing the stage for the first time since Season 1. They were joined by Jaideep Ahlawat, the antagonist of the upcoming season, making for a momentous OTT crossover.

    Regional representation shone bright, with Sriimurali and Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar receiving special felicitations, while Miheeka Daggubati accepted the Best Talk Show Host award on behalf of her husband, Rana Daggubati.

    Commenting on the significance of the event, OTTplay, CEO and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar said, “At the OTTplay Awards, we honour the creators who challenge convention, the performers who redefine excellence, and the stories that resonate across languages and regions. With our ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ vision, the OTTplay Awards are designed to transcend linguistic, regional, and platform-specific boundaries—recognising the finest in web series, OTT films, and digital storytelling from every corner of India’s dynamic entertainment ecosystem. This is more than an awards ceremony for me; it is a celebration of a cultural shift—a tribute to a golden era of streaming that is not arriving but already here. OTTplay Awards – Where India’s stories find their spotlight.”

    As the curtains closed with Raghav Juyal’s signature slow-motion hook step, the OTTplay Awards 2025 stood as a powerful testament to India’s ever-evolving digital entertainment landscape, where creativity knows no borders.

    The event was co-presented by Real Juice and Kuhl, powered by StockGro, and held in association with HT City. With Zoom as the official broadcast partner, and Flipkart Spoyl, D Pauls, Amante, and Propshop among key sponsors, the evening was a seamless blend of entertainment and industry excellence.

  • The 100th show Juhi Babbar Soni’s ‘With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara’ celebrates 100 Indian women achievers

    The 100th show Juhi Babbar Soni’s ‘With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara’ celebrates 100 Indian women achievers

    Mumbai: Juhi Babbar Soni, renowned for her theatre group Ekjute, founded by her parents Raj Babbar and Nadira Babbar is set to mark a milestone seldom seen in today’s screen-dominated digital era. On 28 June, at Sheila Gopal Raheja Auditorium in Bandra, Juhi and her troupe will proudly present their 100th performance of “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara”. This captivating narrative delves into the diverse identities of contemporary Indian women.

    The play features Juhi narrating the journey of Saiyaara through her book that Saiyaara has written. In the play, the book itself is titled “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara.”

    Based on a character conceived by Nadira Zaheer Babbar, the play is written, directed, and performed by Juhi Babbar Soni herself, “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara” portrays Saiyaara as not just a character but a symbol of resilience, determination, and aspiration. The play, spanning 100 uninterrupted minutes, invites audiences to join Saiyaara on her introspective journey, described by acclaimed poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar as “Behad umda performance hai Juhi ki. Yeh play bahut kuchh ehsaas dilaata hai.” (Juhi’s performance is exceptional. This play evokes many emotions.)

    Juhi has also tried a few innovative approaches that have caught everybody’s attention for this feel-good play. For example Saiyaara’s sweet and spicy take on ‘men, marketing and mores’, which is conveyed in a conversational approach with the gallery, making the audience a part of the performance!

    Veteran actor Anupam Kher, couldn’t help but praise Juhi’s command over her language during the superb dialogue delivered in the play, “(It is a) Fantastic performance, beautifully written play and Juhi’s command of the language is amazing!”

    Expressing her joy and gratitude, Juhi Babbar Soni said, “I am very happy and deeply grateful to my audience for their unwavering support and love. This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

    Interestingly, Juhi initiated the play with an online performance during the lockdown and successfully transitioned it to the stage post-pandemic.

    28th June show would be the remarkable 100th show within just 30 months of the play being performed in 35 plus cities in India and 5 cities in London.

  • &pictures climbing Uunchai of love, friendship, and determination on this 27 August!

    &pictures climbing Uunchai of love, friendship, and determination on this 27 August!

    Mumbai: Rekindle your friendships once again as &pictures presents the premiere of ‘Uunchai’, an inspiring story of three friends and their thrilling yet meaningful journey. Starring legends of Bollywood like Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Neena Gupta, Sarika Thakur, and the talented Parineeti Chopra, this movie enjoys a spectacular cast. Stemming from the legendary tree of Rajshri Productions and directed by Sooraj Barjatya, this film celebrates its 75th year of family-friendly content, reuniting you by stitching your family together for this heart-warming story. While showcasing top-tier friendship and deep bonds, this story revolves around the trio and their thrilling experience of going on an adventure trek to Mount Everest despite their aging bodies, breaking all odds, and showcasing top-notch friendship. With its perfect blend of emotions, entertainment, and determination, this film fighting all odds is the right fit for your Sunday brunch on 27 August at 11.30 a.m. only on &pictures.

    Perfecting the wholesome experience, this adventure drama follows a track called Keti Ko by Amit Trivedi that brings back Bollywood’s true essence of friendship and love which turned out to be a fan favourite with over 30 million views. The track has truly elevated the narrative of the trio trekking to the top of Mount Everest. Join us on &pictures to know if our trio will reach the top as this adventurous trek turns into a life-changing journey teaching us the true meaning of friendship.

    While addressing the & Pictures premiere, Barjatya said “Uunchai will forever remain my most prized possessions. With this film, I reintroduced myself and the cinema I love, to the audiences once again and I must say it felt great to be back. Celebrating love, friendship, and family is what we do here at Rajshri, and being able to tribute this film to the 75th year of Rajshri’s history of films, brings me a lot of joy. Adding to the excitement, is the & Pictures 10th birthday as well, I deeply wish them all the best for their success.”
     

  • Zee Telugu is all set to premiere ‘The Kashmir Files’ on 28 August

    Zee Telugu is all set to premiere ‘The Kashmir Files’ on 28 August

    Mumbai: Zee Telugu is all set to air the world television premiere of the movie, “The Kashmir Files.” After a successful run in theatres, “The Kashmir Files” will make its television debut on Zee Telugu on 28 August at 12 p.m.

    “The Kashmir Files,” directed by Vivek Agnihotri, centres on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s after their mass exodus from their homes. It features Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborthy, Pallavi Joshi, Puneet Issar, Darshan Kumar, and Mrinal Kulkarni.

    The protagonist of the tale, Krishna Pandit (Darshan Kumar), is the grandson of Pushkar Nath (Anupam Kher), and takes place in Kashmir’s snow-capped mountain ranges. He finds himself caught between two divergent accounts of the 1990 exodus, and when he returns to Kashmir to carry out his grandfather’s final wishes, he learns some horrifying details about the exodus and how his parents died.

  • Zee Cinema brings world television premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ &  ‘Attack’

    Zee Cinema brings world television premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ & ‘Attack’

    Mumbai: Zee Cinema is all set to present the world television premiere of “The Kashmir Files”, and “Attack” on 25 and 26 June at 8 pm, respectively.

    The stirring masterpiece, “The Kashmir Files”, struck a strong connection with audiences and critics alike. The colossal conversation rounds and overwhelming response from the global viewers at the box office is what holds testament to what sincere storytelling with riveting execution is capable of. Donning the role of Pushkar Nath Pandit, Anupam Kher has given one of the most defining performances of his career. Speaking of defining performances, we see gripping performances from Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty and Darshan Kumar in significant roles that left the audience in absolute awe. A directorial marvel by the award-winning filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, “The Kashmir Files”, uncoil the saga of Kashmir’s history in the voice of the Kashmiris. Recounting the tragic event of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 in its honest form, left the world spellbound. With the sizable reach of Zee Cinema, the most awaited film by the viewers, “The Kashmir Files”, will be available to the entire nation.

    Sharing his experience, Anupam Kher said, “Being someone who has Kashmiri roots, this film was also instrumental in bringing back a lot – memories of cherries coming into my house through a window back in Baramulla, the pleasantness of Kheer Bhawani, Nishad Garden, and Dal Lake that I keep thinking of even after having travelled the world. The “Kashmir Files” is an impeccable example of how a mid-budget film with an impactive story can reach such great heights. For the audience, watching it was an emotional experience. It was instrumental in bringing out a story that deserved to be told, striking a special and lasting connection with the viewers, and to any actor that means more success than anything.”

    Director Vivek Agnihotri said, “This film is about humanity, it’s about oneness, and with the response received, I believe the audience of the country, as well as outside, have resonated with it. The emotions that this movie has evoked in people, have left a lasting impression on their mind. I am a person with integrity. I want to work with talented people. My aim is to do creative work and showcase Indian films as a soft power to the world. “The Kashmir Files” has helped reinforce my belief in the strength of honest storytelling.”

    “Vivek and I spent four years on the film, and three years on the research. We went down to victims’ houses, interviewed them, sat with them, and ate with them. Apart from my experience of being a producer for the film, my role was also really different from what I’ve done in the past, so this came as a welcome change for me. This is a story that needed to be told in all dimensions, with great fidelity, and a super-strong portrayal of every character,” shared Pallavi Joshi.

    The advent of technology has taken Warcraft to a new height. While our weapons and strategies were upgraded with technology, “Attack” took this invention to another level and introduced India’s first ever AI driven Super-soldier. The film showcases how tech induced warfare helps to reduce any kind of human collateral damage. With scintillating performances by John Abraham along with Rakul Preet Singh and Jacqueline Fernandez, get set to be immersed in a wondrous experience of high-octane action, thrill, lined with an impactful story of patriotism. “Attack”, one of India’s first sci-fi action thrillers portraying an unattempted concept of a super-soldier on a quest to destroy some of the most villainous terrorists, won over the audience with its adrenaline-fueled cinematic experience. So, get ready for an ultimate experience jab Ek super-soldier karega aatank pe attack!

    Talking about the film, John Abraham said, “’Attack’ is not a futuristic film, but it’s a very relevant film. I believe that we might anticipate such technology a few years down the line. The idea with “Attack” was to challenge, so we are challenging the audience’s mind and trying to do something different. If Hollywood can make it, why can’t India? It is my humble attempt to make India proud. We’ve all heard that films are made for masses or classes, but I don’t think so. I only think there are two kinds of films: good films and bad films. And this is a good film that I believe families and people of all ages will enjoy. This isn’t a regular action film, but it is meant to put an important message across – nothing can come in the way for a true patriot, as he will fight for his country selflessly, and in all passion with a staunch belief that his nation comes ahead of everything.”

    Rakul Preet Singh added, “’Attack’ is a film I am proud of and will always be. Ironically, as a kid, I wanted to be a scientist and with this film, I got to chase that dream. We’ve seen Captain America and Iron Man on international levels creating a space in global audiences’ minds. “Attack” is a great experiment from India. It’s an under-explored genre. More than an actor, after looking at the film as a viewer, what personally spoke to me deeply was how John’s character fought against terrorism selflessly, and relentlessly portraying the essence of a true patriot despite all limitations. Today, we’re a part of a great space. I feel all kinds of cinema and experiments are being celebrated and it is this sentiment that will shape the industry from now on.”

    “Attack” moves along the quest of a super-soldier who has lost everything and puts his life on the line to serve his nation, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

  • Zee Live announces fourth edition of ‘Arth – A Culture Fest’

    Zee Live announces fourth edition of ‘Arth – A Culture Fest’

    Mumbai: Zee Live, the live entertainment and IP vertical of Zee Entertainment Enterprises has announced the fourth edition of Arth – A Culture Fest. Celebrating 75 years of Indian independence, Arth will bring to its platform distinguished and globally acclaimed personalities to celebrate India’s rich culture and heritage.

    The festival can be watched Live on the YouTube and Facebook pages of Arth – A Culture Fest from 18-20 February.

    This season will witness intriguing discussions on Indian art, culture, cinema, sports, politics, and faith with eminent panelists such as Bharatiya Janata Party national vice president Baijayant Jay Panda,
    Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and other noted personalities like Abhinav Prakash, Anand Ranganathan, Anupam Kher, Ashwin Sanghi, Avani Lekhara, Ekta Kapoor, Gautam Chikermane, Harsh Gupta Madhusudan, Hindol Sengupta, J Sai Deepak, Meenakshi Jain, Rahul Easwar, Rajat Sethi, Rajeev Mantri, Sanjeev Sanyal, Shefali Vaidya, Shubhrastha, Tusshar Kapoor, and Vivek Agnihotri, said the statement.

    This year’s edition will have topics like The evolution of Indian Cinema, Sports over the years: Cricket and beyond, Story of India’s national carrier: Air India, Indic spirituality and its role in keeping our civilization alive, and India’s role in current geopolitics etc.

    A special TV broadcast of Arth season 4 will be telecasted on close to 20 channels of Zeel including Zee TV, &TV, Zee Punjabi, Zee Marathi, Zee Café amongst others. It will showcase the brilliance of Indian culture and heritage through an ensemble of Indian dance, shayari by Kumar Vishwas, musical performances by Aman & Ayaan Ali Khan, B Praak and the team of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

    Arth – A Culture Fest founder and Saat Saath Arts Foundation’s co-director Shreyasi Goenka said, “The main objective of Arth – A Culture Fest has always been to re-connect Indians to their roots and help them re-discover the rich legacy that our country has to offer. As India enters her 75th year of independence, we at Arth wanted to celebrate and pay homage to the various unique aspects that set our country apart from the rest of the world. In the fourth season of Arth, we have an incredible line-up of industry stalwarts coming together to discuss what gives India her true meaning.”

    “The last two years have been nothing but a learning curve for all of us. We have pivoted ourselves and come out even stronger,” stated Arth – A Culture Fest’s festival director, author and historian Vikram Sampath. “Fueled by the success of the third season of Arth – A Culture Fest, we have come back with a unique theme of celebration – A Celebration of India’s 75 years of freedom. Viewers can look forward to brilliant discussions by distinguished personalities who have represented India on a global platform in this specially curated fourth season of Arth.”

    Travelling to Kolkata and Delhi the first three seasons of Arth saw the presence of eminent leaders and speakers like union home minister Amit Shah, minister of road transport and highways of India Nitin Gadkari, union minister for women and child development Smriti Irani, and other noted personalities like Subramanian Swamy, Asaduddin Owaisi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Gaur Gopal Das, Imtiaz Ali, Raveena Tandon, and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

    The previous editions also hosted eminent personalities from the media and advertising fraternity like Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Joshi. Manoj Muntashir, Amish Tripathi, Aanchal Malhotra, Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murthy, Ashwin Sanghi, and Mandira Bedi were also present.

     

  • Zee Telugu to premiere dubbed version of Hotel Mumbai on 26 April

    Zee Telugu to premiere dubbed version of Hotel Mumbai on 26 April

    MUMBAI: Zee Telugu will have the world television premiere of the dubbed version of the film Hotel Mumbai in the Telugu Language. The movie will be broadcasted on Sunday, 26 April at 1:00 pm.

    More than a decade on, Hotel Mumbai is the cinematic re-creation of the 26/11 terror carnage that shook Mumbai in 2008, focusing on the terrorist attack inside the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel.

    The film has been directed by Anthony Maras, produced by Thunder Road Pictures and distributed by Zee Studios in India. The film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi and Anupam Kher among others.

    The story revolves around a chef at the hotel, Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher), and a hotel steward, Arjun (Dev Patel), who put themselves in unimaginable risk to save the lives of the frightened guests at the hotel, whilst the militants are on a rampage inside the hotel.

  • Judwaa 2….Rides on long weekend

    Judwaa 2….Rides on long weekend

    Ideas are in short-supply. Shortcuts are the norm. And, as a producer of repute, if you are getting a package deal to make some quick money, why not?

    Producer Sajid Nadiadwala digs into his own archives and comes up with a remake of his own film ‘Judwaa.’ Since remakes are an accepted norm, David Dhawan, the director of the original Judwaa, comes as a package deal with his son, Varun, in the lead.

    Judwaa, Sajid and David’s 1997 film was a comic laugh riot. Salman Khan was in his element playing a dual role and David was known to be an economical director who, trained at FTII as an editor, was known to pre-edit his films.

    Judwaa 2 continues the age-old formula where twins are separated at birth for whatever reason. The character of Sachin Khedekar and his wife, Prachi Shah, have twin boys, Varun Dhawan in dual role. One of them is kidnapped. The upbringing of the two is poles apart.

    Prem grows up in London in the lap of luxury in a protected life. Raja is raised by a fisherwoman in Mumbai. Raja grows up to become an extrovert and confident one, Prem is a softy who takes to music.

    How the two brothers eventually come together and the pieces fall into their respective slots and the villains tackled is the obvious plot.

    Romantic angles have to be drawn. Prem has been paired with the character Taapsee Pannu while Raja meets his match, played by Jacqueline Fernandez, on a flight.

    The best part of the film, which makes it tick, is that these are reflexive twins in that whatever one does, other follows or, whatever one undergoes, the other sufferers it too. So, even while both are away from each other unaware of their existence, this provides for some fun.

    Since this is the remake of the 1997 Judwaa starring Salman Khan, the comparisons are inevitable, especially since the film is still fresh in mind of the moviegoer. While lacking in originality, Judwaa 2 also can’t find new or contemporary gags.

    Varun Dhawan tries his best and comes across convincingly as the ‘tapori’ while, as the simpleton, he finds the going tough. Fernandez and Pannu have nothing much to do except during songs and to add glamour.

    As for direction, Dhawan adheres mostly to the original, also his own work. The length here, 150 minutes, looks stretched, especially in the second half and needs some trimming. Music benefits with the use of two songs from the original Judwaa, composed by Anu Malik.

    Judwaa 2 is a light entertainer which is what the moviegoer prefers. The film gets a long weekend as Saturday is a Dussehra holiday followed by Sunday, and Gandhi Jayanti holiday on Monday.

    Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala.

    Director: David Dhawan.

    Cast: Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Taapsee Pannu, Anupam Kher, Pavan Malhotra, Rajpal Yadav, Sachin Khedekar and Prachi Shah.

  • Toilet: Ek Prem Katha … Part fun, part sermon

    With little choice of genres left for films after themes like family social, horror and mythology were taken away by TV channels, filmmakers have to find variations in what they are left with: romance, action and comedy.

    Toilet Ek Prem Katha is a small town love story, and a love story needs a villain in some form. Unless the coming together of two lovers is met with some hindrances causing anxiety among the viewers, it remains incomplete. In this film, the villain that becomes the cause of separation between two lovers is a tradition that stops the villagers from creating the facility of toilets within the house.

    The character of Akshay Kumar is a small town lad who is well past his marriageable age due to the superstitions of his father played by Sudhir Pandey, a pandit, who is convinced that the character of Akshay’s marriage will fail since he has a negative influence of planet Mars on his horoscope and that his wife will have to have two thumbs in her palm if the marriage has to work. Pandey gets rid of half the ill effects of horoscope by getting Akshay married to a buffalo cow. Now all that remains to be made sure for Akshay to enjoy a blissful married life is to find a girl with two thumbs!

    But, fate ordains otherwise. While travelling on a railway shuttle, Akshay comes across Bhumi Pedenkar and both get into an argument over toilet manners. There is little in common between the two as Akshay’s character is a 12th-standard pass while Bhumi is a university topper. Her small family of four keeps pace with times while Akshay’s father, who dominates his life, lives in past. Akshay is 37 while Bhumi is a student.

    However, all these do not deter Akshay from falling in love with Bhumi. He starts chasing her till, like it happens in such love stories; Bhumi too is attracted to Akshay. The families agree to the match. While Bhumi’s family has no reservations, to deceive Pandey, Akshay gets an artificial extra thumb fitted on Bhumi’s hand.

    It is all lovey dovey for Akshay and Bhumi. But at the first dawn post-marriage a bunch of women come to call Bhumi to join them. Called Lota Gang, the women are on their way to far off fields for their daily ablutions.Having been brought up in a house with all the comforts, Bhumi cannot cope with this situation. She demands that a toilet be built within the house.

    While Akshay is trying to convince Pandey, he and Bhumi find ways to make things comfortable for her. Akshay comes up with what is called Jugaad, an ad hoc arrangement, each day so Bhumi need not go to fields. One of them is to take her to the local railway station where a particular train stops for seven minutes during which she is supposed to finish her business. Once, Akshay even steals a portable toilet. And, finally he builds one in his house only for it to be broken down by Pandey and other village folk.

    The film now shifts to the campaign run by the present government which aims to build toilet facility for every individual or community. However, the climax is the same as many such films about crusades the corruption in government departments, the involvement of the media and so on. What is different but inspired from real life incidents is the married woman leaving her husband and home because it does it not have a toilet.

    Having taken up the issue of toilets and the lack of it, the film takes too long to touch the crusade against a certain class’s mindset that prevent them from installing this basic facility in the house. Towards the end, especially in the last 50 minutes or so, it becomes preachy. The proceedings should have been crisper.

    The direction is fair. While the first half offers some entertainment, the later part has only little of it. The film has one song that works for it in Gori tu latth maar…. as it has visual appeal. Production values are average.

    The film scores on casting. Akshay Kumar is good as a confident small town lad. Bhumi Pednekar is convincing. Divyendu Sharma, Anupam Kher, Sudhir Pandey and Rajesh Sharma support well.

    Toilet Ek Prem Katha has average merit but is expected to enjoy a huge weekend from Saturday till Tuesday, and again a restricted holiday to follow for the Parsi New Year on 17th. This should help the film reach its target.

    Producers: Aruna Bhatia, Shital Bhatia, Prernaa Arora, Arjun N. Kapoor, Hitesh Thakkar.

    Director: Shree Narayan Singh.

    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, . Divyendu Sharma, Anupam  Kher, Sudhir Pandey and Rajesh Sharma.