Watch: Akshay Kumar urges people to change ‘Soch aur Shauch’

The moment he signed on for a film titled Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Akshay Kumar knew he would not have an easy time talking about the film. After all, for some strange reason, the very mention of toilet evokes laughter in most people.

Even as Akshay Kumar officially starts work on the promotions for his film, he is trying to highlight how severe the problem is across the country. The actor raised this very issue in his subtle ‘Soch aur Shauch’ video on Twitter today.

In the video, the star speaks at length about how the lack of toilets deeply affects women and girls in India.

Addressing his fans, he says, “I’m sorry if you feel offended while watching this video, but it’s important to talk about it. India is a superpower, but more than half the population, especially women, have no access to toilets. They are forced to defecate in open fields, empty spaces, that too only before sunrise or after dark. Men don’t face such issues, they can urinate openly on walls, which in itself is an embarrassment to the nation.”

The star remarked on the statistic of 54% of India's population lacking access to public toilets, saying, “On one hand, we ask our daughters to cover their heads to protect the family's honour, but on the other hand we expect her to defecate in open fields. That’s disgusting. The problem lies in our thinking, where we don’t feel the need to have a toilet. Some are not comfortable at the thought of having a toilet and a kitchen in one home. To hell with such thinking! 54% of our population still don’t have toilets in their homes. Sadly, India ranks number one in this shameful list.”

The actor went on to highlight how toilets donated by the government are being misused for other purposes. He pointed out that several government toilets are being used by people as shops and godowns. "If you are watching this on a smartphone, or the internet, but don't have a toilet at home, go and apologize to the women in your house, and start building one immediately," he said. 

The actor has sent his message loud and clear. Here’s hoping the reader won’t let this go down the drain. Watch Kumar’s full video message below: 

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha is based on prime minister Narendra Modi's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'. The film is slated for theatrical release on 2 June.