Akshay Kumar reacts to Jaya Bachchan’s criticism of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha - 'Don’t know, maybe she’s right'

The name of Akshay Kumar's highly praised 2017 film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was the target of Jaya Bachchan's scathing criticism last month. The veteran actor allegedly said at a public gathering that a film with that title would be a "flop" and that she would never see it. Netizens were quick to point out that the film helped bring attention to the urgent problem of open defecation in India and that the comment caused a backlash. The film did well at the box office, too.

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Akshay Kumar breaks his silence

After remaining silent about the statement, Akshay has now spoken up. One question that came up during the actor's appearance at a promotional event for his next film Kesari: Chapter 2 was whether or not it hurts when other artists in his field insult him.

Akshay responded calmly and clearly, asking, "Criticising? I don't think anyone has criticised these films. Only a fool would criticise the kind of films I've made — I made Pad Man. You tell me — there's Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Airlift, I made Kesari 1, and now there's Kesari 2. There are so many such films. Only a fool would criticise them. And I’ve made them from the heart. These are films that convey and explain many things to people, no matter which film it is. So I don’t think anyone has criticised them."

Akshay responds to Jaya Bachchan's remark

After Jaya Bachchan claimed she wouldn't watch a film called Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Akshay remained polite when asked for his thoughts on the matter. He stated, "Well, if she has said it, then it must be right — I don’t know. If making a film like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha was something wrong that I did, then if she’s saying so, she must be right."

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha sought to draw attention to the absence of sanitation services in rural India and was released in 2017 with the inspiration of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The film, which featured Bhumi Pednekar as well, was a commercial success and received high praise for the meaningful stories it told.

Online, many have praised Akshay Kumar for his level-headed answer, saying that he should have allowed his work to do the talking instead of getting into a verbal brawl.