Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra builds 20 toilets in Mumbai slum

In every social circle, there are some people who silently do their bit towards the society. In Bollywood as well, we often come across influential people, pro-active towards the society’s needs. One such figure is filmmaker is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. He was shooting his new film ‘Mere Pyare Prime Minister’ at a slum in Ghatkopar, Mumbai and was appalled at the place’s poor sanitation system.

Hence, he took the initiative and obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BMC, for building 20 new toilets in the area.

Out of these 20 toilets, there will be five separate toilets for men and women each, and also for the primary school teachers of Khandooba area.  “It’s the least one could do for the residents of Khandooba, for all the warmth and love they extended during the shoot of Mere Pyare Prime Minister,” Mehra says. (Also Read: Aishwarya not upset with R Madhavan being roped in for ‘Fanney Khan’)

“We don’t just build toilets and walk away but we also make sure the locals maintain them. We’ve been having meetings with slum-dwellers and corporators of the area, urging them to put one rupee in the donation box so that the community workers can be given their dues. The new toilets are as good as the ones in private buildings, with proper pipelines and extensions with taps where they can get clean, drinking water,’ the filmmaker had earlier stated.

‘Mere Pyare Prime Minister’ is about four friends from a slum. Out of them, one is raised by a single mother and wants to build a toilet for her. He reaches to the Prime Minister, after immense persistence.

Ranjini Maitra

Journalist. Writer. Reader. Enthu cutlet. Mood-swing machine. Day dreamer. Sandwiched between ‘live life fully’ and ‘lose some weight’. Mantra of life: Love and love more.