Project Hers makes poignant plea for toilets, with story of girl driven to death by distress

 

Citizen Dentsu initiative Project Hers is seeking support from the public for a petition, to create regulations in building laws and make it mandatory to create toilets in every residential house. 

 

A film conceptualised by Dentsu One makes the plea, and is claimed to be based on a true story. 

 

The film tells the story of Khusboo, in her own words. Amidst a downpour, her father is seated next to her at home. She's lying down, eyes closed. As the camera spots her clothes, bangles and school bag, she recounts (through a voice over) how her father went out of his way to get her everything she asked for. She goes on to say that he could not give her one thing though. As she grew up, she pleaded for a toilet at home. But he said he was saving up for her marriage instead. Her suicide note reveals that Khusboo took the extreme step because her father refused to build a toilet. He had not understood the intensity of her problem, and repents now, sobbing next to his daughter's body.

 

Viewers are urged to sign the petition at ProjectHers.com, to realise the vision: 'Every house must have a toilet.'

 

Titus Upputuru, NCD, Dentsu One, and writer and director of the film, said, “That a girl gave up her life because she did not have an access to a toilet was unbelievable. We went online and found many other cases where women gave up their lives. That’s when we began this petition through Project Hers. While I know there is a lot of education that the government is doing about how everyone should use a toilet, the fact is about 60 per cent of India’s population does not have an access to toilet facilities. This film and Project Hers attempts to address this issue.”

 

Credits

 

Head of office (NCR): Harjot Narang

Planning: Narayan Devanathan,Paroma Ganguly, Anupriya Prakash 

Writer/Director: Titus Upputuru

Creative/Design team: Neharika Awal, Auryndom Bose, Chinmoy Bhowmik, Nitin Gupta, Vandana Pant, Deepali Aggrwal

Agency producer: Dawa Lama

 

Production House: Chrome Pictures

Producer: Abhishek Notani

 

Music: Arjuna Harjai

DoP: G Srinivas Reddy

 

Digital agency: WebChutney

Digital team: Tanvi Jain, Adhir Anand