Bollywood celebrities are taking to social media; pads-in-hands, in a striking display of sanitary solidarity, to welcome the release of the upcoming movie Pad Man.
The film is based on the true story of OG Pad Man Arunachalam Muruganantham, a gentleman from Tamil Nadu rural India who started constructing sanitary pads out of raw materials after he noticed his wife resorting to “nasty” rags and other materials during menstruation.
The film stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role who, just last year, also tackled the issue of the use of toilets in rural areas in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (A Love Story). It was reportedly Kumar’s decision to market this film as a commercial Bollywood film, as opposed to the small arthouse audience that writer, producer and former actress Twinkle Khanna purported. Speaking to The Independent Khanna explained,
“If you think about it, how many people watch documentaries? The whole purpose of this movie which is to reach the masses would be lost. Because he is someone who people idolise as an action hero with a very masculine image so the incongruity of such an alpha male holding a sanitary pad would make the film accessible to men.”
The latest online viral challenge of sorts has arisen from the film and it’s previously sensitive subject matter, with an array of actors and social media users standing in sanitary solidarity with the sisterhood:
Considering the widespread shroud of shame that typically accompanies any mere mention of menstruation, it’s hard to believe that this isn’t the only ~period~ film to hit East-Asian screens in the past year. Phullu (2017) was based on the same story; albeit, the film garnered decidedly less attention than Pad Man.
Phullu director Abhishek Saxena told Indo-Asian News Service that the film focused on the broader issues of female menstrual health in rural India.
“The thought behind making the film ‘Padman’ is to share the inspirational and successful story of Muruganantham, and I think this is the time we have to get rid of the social taboo regarding menstruation,
We aim to create awareness about the use of the sanitary napkins, we even have conversations with doctors who are explaining the hygienic importance of choosing sanitary napkin over a cloth. So, keeping the element of sanitary napkin aside, the intention of these two stories are different.”
In any case, it’s amazing to see the amount of support behind the new movement, from both celebrities and everyday social media users alike. It’s a sure sign of the progressive times that two movies have surfaced, based on the same inspirational story. This progress certainly suggests that South-Asian society is rapidly changing and progressing to finally cater to women’s needs.
Lead actress in Pad Man Sonam Kapoor, renowned Bollywood director Karan Johar and Bollywood queen Deepika Padekone are among those that have lent their celebrity to the #PadManChallenge – in turn raising awareness of the issue, and lifting the social taboo.
Pad Man is scheduled for release on February 9th, screening at Event Cinemas in Australia. Will you be watching?
