How Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Panchayat highlight India's toilet problems!

A film and an episode from a popular series dedicated to India's sanitation challenges join forces in highlighting the country's persistent toilet problems. Here's how! 

If you ever travel across India, there’s one message you’ll frequently encounter on walls: "Yahan peshab karna mana hai". Despite these warnings, open urination, and, in some cases, defecation, is still a common sight. The fact that we need to put up these signs repeatedly, only for people to ignore them, highlights a problem that is not only administrative but also cultural. The issue isn't just the lack of adequate toilet infrastructure across the country but also the ingrained attitudes toward public sanitation. While efforts have been made to improve sanitation, the reality remains that public toilets' poor maintenance and cleanliness often discourage their use—particularly for women, who face greater challenges in accessing clean and safe facilities.

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This sanitation issue is so deeply tied to India's identity that it has even made its way into global pop culture. One striking example is Slumdog Millionaire, where a young boy dives into a filthy latrine pit to retrieve an autographed poster of Amitabh Bachchan. This scene, for many viewers, became a lasting image associated with India’s sanitation problems. However, Slumdog Millionaire is not the only film that sheds light on these issues. Bollywood has taken on the subject through films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, which centres around the construction of household toilets as a solution to open defecation, and series like Panchayat, which also addresses rural sanitation challenges in its own way. These works reflect a growing awareness and offer hope for change, portraying the struggles and solutions in a way that resonates with audiences.

Here's how they do it!

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha - The schooling that we all needed! 

The film is a bold cinematic effort highlighting the deep-rooted sanitation issues in rural India, particularly the widespread practice of open defecation. Inspired by true events, it tells the story of Keshav and Jaya, a newly married couple whose relationship is pushed to the brink because Keshav’s home lacks a toilet. Through their personal struggle, the film sheds light on the broader problem of inadequate sanitation infrastructure and the cultural taboos surrounding toilet use, especially in villages where building a toilet at home is often considered impure—despite the health risks and dangers not having one poses, particularly for women who must walk long distances to find secluded areas, usually facing the risk of harassment or worse.

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha addresses not only the lack of proper facilities but also the profoundly ingrained mindsets perpetuating this issue. It advocates for dignity, hygiene, and women's safety, blending humour and heartfelt drama to drive home the importance of these themes. By tackling such a crucial public health issue, the film seeks to break taboos, inspire societal change, and emphasize the urgent need for sanitation reform across India.

Panchayat - The deep dive into cultural and administrative issues related to rural sanitation!

The series subtly yet powerfully addresses India's toilet problems, particularly in rural areas, through its realistic portrayal of village life. Set in the small village of Phulera, through Abhishek, the newly appointed city-bred Sachiv Ji, we witness the rural attitude towards sanitation, highlighting its cultural aspects. In an episode in season one dedicated entirely to the shauch issues of the village, we get to see people still opting to openly defecate despite toilets being made in their own homes, including the Pradhan Ji because it's fun to do it in open air while on the other hand, we get to witness how government schemes aim to provide toilets to everyone to eradicate this problem only to have either toilets built with no walls or walls that are still waiting for toilet seats. 

Panchayat skillfully uses humour and relatable situations to highlight how these issues affect the villagers and how layered the sanitation issue is, ranging from villagers' reluctance, financial constraints, and a lack of awareness about hygiene. Through its authentic depiction of village dynamics and the challenges of bringing about change, the show sheds light on the urgent need for better sanitation infrastructure and the gradual shift in attitude essential for improving public health and quality of life in rural India.

This is how both Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Panchayat highlight India’s toilet problem in distinct ways. The film takes a direct, socially driven approach, emphasizing the dignity, health, and safety that sanitation brings, especially for women. In contrast, the series uses subtle humour to critique the slow pace of rural change and the challenges of implementing government schemes. Together, they raise awareness about the need for better sanitation while addressing the cultural and bureaucratic hurdles involved!

What do you think of India's toilet problems? Tell us in th comments below! 

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