I wasn’t aware of the Clean India Mission before I saw Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, an enjoyable Bollywood musical currently screening at the AMC River East. But the film, which plays a bit like an extended public service announcement, explains the roots and aims of the movement in clear enough terms to educate outsiders like me.
The couple’s happiness proves to be short-lived, however. Jaya grew up in a household with modern plumbing, and she balks at having to defecate outdoors once she moves to Keshav’s village. She’s not used to the lack of privacy; moreover she’s outraged that men from the community try to sneak a peek at her when she lifts her garments in the open field reserved for doing business. Jaya petitions her husband to build a toilet for the family household, but he initially resists. It’s only when Jaya moves back to her parents’ home that Keshav takes her demands seriously. He then resolves to introduce modern plumbing to his community with the same fervor that he pursued his wife in the opening hour of the film. Keshav’s plan—which suggests the Clean India Mission in miniature—inspires anger in many of his fellow villagers, who regard toilets as an attack on local traditions. Keshav ignores their outrage and builds a toilet on his property anyway (his construction efforts are accompanied by the movie’s catchiest song), but this makes his traditionalist father go ballistic and attempt to tear down the structure.
