Producer Prerna Arora On Jaya Bachchan’s Comment On Toilet Ek Prem Katha: ‘Very Hurtful To Hear Her Say...'

Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan recently made headlines for her critical remarks about the title of ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, dismissing it as a “flop film” during a media event.

Jaya Bachchan recently made headlines for her critical remarks about the title of ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’.

Source : Instagram/@pprernaarora, PTI

Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan recently made headlines for her critical remarks about the title of ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, dismissing it as a “flop film” during a media event. Her statement has now prompted a response from producer Prerna Arora, who has urged the actress to reconsider her stance. 

Toilet Ek Prem Katha producer on Jaya Bachchan's statement

Expressing her deep admiration for Jaya Bachchan, Prerna told Bollywood Hungama, "Let me first state that I am a huge, HUGE fan of Jayaji. For me, she is the ultimate. I can watch Guddi, Uphaar, Abhimaan, and Mili anytime, anywhere, and feel happy about life. It is, therefore, very hurtful to hear her say that our film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was a flop. Ma’am should check the box office figures. Our film earned a very handsome profit. It was one of the five biggest hits of 2017." 

Talking about the title of the film, she said, "We weren’t sure about the title at first. It seemed risky to have the word ‘toilet’ in the title, especially before ‘A Love Story.’ But eventually, we settled on the edgy title. As a producer, I have taken risks. What is cinema if it only sticks to the expected? Jaya Ma’am took risks with her role choices all the time. She did Doosri Sita, where she played a woman who murders her abusive husband. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is a film I am very proud of. I would love to show it to Jaya Ma’am if she would permit." 

What Jaya Bachchan said

Speaking at the India TV conclave, she openly admitted that she found the film’s title off-putting and would not consider watching it.  “Just look at the title of the film; I would never go to watch a film with such a name. Yeh koi naam hai? Is that really a name?” she remarked, making her disapproval clear.  

Engaging with the audience, she asked whether they would be willing to watch a film with a title like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. While a few hands went up, her response was sharp: “Among so many people, hardly four people want to watch the film; it’s very sad. Yeh toh flop hai (It is a flop),” she commented. 

About Toilet: Ek Prem Katha 

Released in 2017, 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' tackled the issue of inadequate sanitation facilities in rural India. The film, which starred Bhumi Pednekar, Anupam Kher, and Divyenndu alongside Akshay Kumar, resonated with audiences and grossed over Rs 300 crore worldwide. Following its success, Akshay continued working on social awareness films, including Pad Man (2018), which highlighted menstrual hygiene.