Bhumi Pednekar: There is no stalker angle in 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha'

Bhumi Pednekar

Still from the song Hans Mat

Struck by the Cupid's arrow, Akshay Kumar is seen stalking co-star Bhumi Pednekar in the song, Hans Mat Pagli, from Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Netizens expressed their displeasure, stating that the film promotes stalking as a way of luring women. Pednekar says, "When you set a story in the heartland, the milieu has to be authentic. There is no stalker angle as people have made it out to be. Since they haven't watched the film, these are assumptions. It's a heartwarming love story."

Bhumi Pednekar

The actor adds that as a woman who advocates the rights of her sex, she wouldn't have agreed to do the film, if it were derogatory. "If my character was offended by the suitor's advances, I would have refused to do the scenes. I am aware, conscious and sensitive to such scenes. We are responsible people, who understand the concept of consent," says Pednekar.

In times of social media, crossing over to the other sideof what's acceptable is common, feels the Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) actor. "A man making objectionable remarks on social media is disturbing. As far as a film goes, if a male character grabs a woman by the wrist and forces himself upon her, that's wrong. But my character is only responding to his ways. This is how people approach each other in small towns. If a woman tells off a man and he continues to pester her, that's stalking. Inthe case of our film, the situation is far from that."