Open Defecation Free India: 'Mere Pyare Prime Minister' to release on March 8, 2019

India has been driving towards open defecation free (ODF) nation through several initiatives and programmes by both, government and social groups. The ODF target set is 2019. However, there’s a lot left to be done. In view of it and in an effort to address sanitation problem in India through cinema, which is a strong medium to send out any message to the society, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is working on a new social awareness project - Mere Pyare Prime Minister.

Announcing the making of his new film, Mehra, who had earlier explored stories and issues that are rooted in the country in his previous films such as Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, tweeted: "Date: 8th March 2019 Arzi to, Mere Pyare Prime Minister".

Mere Pyare Prime Minister revolves around the lives of four slum children in Mumbai. With the desire to build a toilet for his single mother, one of the kids makes an appeal to the Prime Minister. The film also highlights the unique mother-son relationship.

National award-winning actress Anjali Patil plays the role of a young mother and the film is shot in real locations in Mumbai. Penned by Gulzar, the music of the film is produced by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Scheduled for March 8, 2019 release, Mere Pyare Prime Minister is expected to create awareness and help stop open defecation in India, where the practice is not limited to rural areas but also prevalent in urban areas even in this age of advanced and high technology and highly modernised times.

The Swachh Bharat Mission is one of the key programmes of the Government of India to achieve open-defecation free India. The government aims to achieve the target with the help of the UNICEF in the year 2019. With the launch of SBM, as many as three lakh villages and 300 districts and 10 states and UT have been declared ODF. However, old habits die hard and the practice continues across several areas in the country.