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Matt Damon lauds Akshay Kumar for highlighting India's open defecation crisis

Matt Damon lauds Akshay Kumar for highlighting India's open defecation crisis

The Hollywood star is the co-founder of water.org which aims to provide developing countries with safe water
Updated 30 Aug, 2017

Akshay Kumar is earning plenty of praise from Hollywood since his film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha released.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Matt Damon praised the Bollywood actor for highlighting an important issue plaguing India.

"It's great to have stars like Akshay and films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha spotlighting the open defecation crisis, as it helps to drive more awareness of not only the issues but also what can be done to tackle this and create change," said the Matt who co-founded water.org, an aid organisation focused on universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries.

"Our organisation, Water.org, is dedicated to ending open defecation globally," he said,

Having traveled to India in 2013, The Departed actor spoke of witnessing the effects of open defecation.

"I have seen first-hand the devastating effects on health, the threat to women and children, and the contamination of safe drinking water from open defecation. It's clear to me that a person cannot thrive and reach their full potential without first having access to safe water to drink, and the dignity of a sanitary toilet."

Earlier this month, Salma Hayek gave a shoutout to Akshay for his film and tweeted: "Good luck to Akshay Kumar on 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' out today! End open defecation now! No woman should fear going to the toilet!"

Akshay Kumar is making waves in Hollywood for his work without even having signed a single project there.

Comments

Mudassir A Khan Aug 29, 2017 09:06am
Love AKKI
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Manhar Aug 29, 2017 09:07am
Akshay is a real super star of india, salute to him
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sajed syed Aug 29, 2017 09:13am
Love you Damon and Salma. Great actors. Pakistan government shall look into this aspect (in Punjab villages, sugar and wheat fields are used for defecation)
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Amit Aug 29, 2017 09:14am
Good job akki
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leoman Aug 29, 2017 09:35am
This is a sign of good and great minds present in this same world which has surely been plagued by dirty minds.
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ajay Aug 29, 2017 09:39am
Akshay kumar is known to give huge donations - away from publicity.
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Saroj Aug 29, 2017 09:45am
For a change, this kind of movies make me believe that sensible film making is not yet dead in Bollywood.
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Hindu baniya Aug 29, 2017 10:18am
Solution lies in confronting the problem head on.
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ABE Aug 29, 2017 12:26pm
It's a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Let's not raise a stink about it!
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Thoroughthinker Aug 29, 2017 12:28pm
"Water is life" and all those who promote this life are the true humans.
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INDIAN Aug 29, 2017 01:34pm
Accept a problem and give your 100% to change the situation ...good job akshay for taking such difficult topic slight here and there and the film would have become vulgar once again hatts off for your efforts..
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DIPAK SINGHAM Aug 29, 2017 01:51pm
"TOILET ek prem katha" is out an out mind change movie for them who still defecation outside!!! great movie story telling with a love story.
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Hindu rajput Aug 29, 2017 01:57pm
Akki great work for India
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Imtiaz ali khan Aug 29, 2017 03:24pm
Open defecation is a problem in Pakistan also but surely not as big as India. I respect Akshay for doing good for humanity. Now who in Pakistan will take the role of Akshay. IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!
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Alanore Aug 29, 2017 04:26pm
@Manhar With number of floppes, no way he is bigger than Aamir Khan and Salman Khan.
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Dervaish Khan Aug 30, 2017 08:22pm
Those who haven't released their pressure in open cannot understand the fun in it. Open defecation culture is as old as humanity itself. Please preserve it.
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Dervaish Khan Aug 30, 2017 08:30pm
Scientific studies have proven that societies that are too much sensitive about hygiene makes itself less immuno-competent to deadly infections. Everything is best in moderation. While there should be toilet culture in cities and towns, people in villages must not be stopped from defecating in open. They should be left to live the way they like.
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Kalim mirza ki biwi Aug 31, 2017 06:11am
Real hero hai Akshay!MA
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Ashwin Aug 31, 2017 09:24pm
@DERVAISH KHAN Open defacation cause many health problems, specially for children, even deaths. Also it increases chances of female humiliation and rape. Your theory of "too much hygene wrong" is quite right but the open defecation doesn't come under this category. Perhaps playing in Sand, soil etc comes in that. We both should learn from Bangladesh who have reduced this problem with surprisingly great success. There rarely anyone does this, even not villagers.
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