MUMBAI: Over 300 million women in India daily undergo psychological trauma of having to defecate in open fields. Dentsu One, the full-service creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has launched a campaign to promote “World Toilet Day”. 

The film titled ‘Khushboo’ sheds light on this disturbing fact by showing a frighteningly painful story based on a real incident that had happened in Jharkhand.

Set in a rural town, on a wet, rainy dawn, the film shows a man putting his daughter to sleep. In the background, we hear the voice of the young daughter tell her father how he used to give her everything that she ever asked for, except for one thing that she had asked for as she grew older.

She had begged and pleaded for it. She even gave up food. But the father refused to fulfill her wish, saying that he was saving money for her marriage.

As the father’s gentle patting turns into repeated thumps, we realize all is not well. The girl’s voice finally says that while her father had put her to sleep always, this one time, she was going to sleep by herself. 

As we see the suicide note that she had left behind, we realize that the father had actually lost his mind and was patting his dead daughter all along.

The father breaks down finally and starts crying bitterly while still thumping the shoulder of his dead daughter.

As the camera pulls up we see the noose hanging from the fan and a lullaby begins to emerge in the sound of rain.

To the haunting melody in the background, we learn that the girl Khushboo committed suicide because her father did not build a toilet in the house. 
lives.

The film directs the audience to visit the ProjectHers.com website and sign a petition that will influence the government to create a new law: If you have a house, you must have a toilet.

The film ends with the logo of Project Hers that shows the typical sign on women’s loos with a noose sign.

Writer-director Titus Upputuru says, “That a girl gave up her life because she did not have an access to a toilet was unbelievable. We found many other cases where women give up their lives. About 60% of India’s population does not have an access to toilet facilities. This film and Project Hers attempts to address this issue.”