getting dictionaries templated without u" prefix

playbook

The goal is to define a dictionary like

dict1:
 int1: 5
 str1: "four"

and be able to template output the dictionary as a whole (not leaf by leaf) such that the output looks like

dict1: {"int1": 5, "srt1": "four"}

The actual output prefixes the values on the RHS of the : with a u so it looks like
dict1: {"int1": u"5", "srt1": u"four"}

The output is a conf file and the code that reads it chokes on the u' prefix.

To reproduce:

cat templ.yml
int1: {{int1}}
srt1: {{str1}}
dict1: {{dict1}}
int1_accessed_by_dict: {{dict1['_int1']}}

cat test.yml
# test.yml

- hosts: localhost
  vars: 
   int1: 5
   str1: "four"
   dict1:
    _int1: "{{int1}}"
    _str1: "{{str1}}"

  tasks:
   - debug: msg="{{int1}}"
   - debug: msg="{{str1}}"
   - debug: msg="{{dict1}}"
   - debug: msg="{{dict1['_int1']}}"

   - name: test templating
     local_action: template src=templ1.yml dest="{{ANSIBLE_21CT_HOME}}/templ_out.yml"

   - name: show result
     local_action: shell cat "{{ANSIBLE_21CT_HOME}}/templ_out.yml"
     
  Below is the output.

stdout

 % ansible-playbook -i hosts test.yml

PLAY [localhost] ************************************************************** 

GATHERING FACTS *************************************************************** 
ok: [localhost]

TASK: [debug msg="5"] ********************************************************* 
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "5"
}

TASK: [debug msg="four"] ****************************************************** 
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "four"
}

TASK: [debug msg="{'_int1': u'5', '_str1': u'four'}"] ************************* 
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "{'_int1': u'5', '_str1': u'four'}"
}

TASK: [debug msg="5"] ********************************************************* 
ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": "5"
}

TASK: [test templating] ******************************************************* 
changed: [localhost -> 127.0.0.1]

TASK: [show result] *********************************************************** 
changed: [localhost -> 127.0.0.1]

PLAY RECAP ******************************************************************** 
localhost                  : ok=7    changed=2    unreachable=0    failed=0   


 % cat templ_out.yml 
int1: 5
srt1: four
dict1: {'_int1': u'5', '_str1': u'four'}
int1_accessed_by_dict: 5