Many Pakistanis were looking forward to the release of PadMan because this film is different from mainstream Bollywood films. It shows the story of a man who tried his best to make menstrual hygiene accessible for women.

Since Pakistani cinema does not make such films, Padman would have been a great way to start discussions in the country about menstrual hygiene

Members of the censor board in Pakistan are reported to have banned the film. Allegedly, they called the subject matter un-Islamic and refused to watch the film altogether

#PADMAN banned in #Pakistan. Why do we only support commercial films and not the other type of cinema? Menstruation isn't something to be ashamed of. And according to my knowledge, this films deals in an informative way to create awareness. #noshame #menstruation @akshaykumar — Nabeel Tariq (@imNabeelTariq) February 10, 2018

Many were outraged at the sheer ignorance regarding the matter and the idea of shame attached with the discussion of such topics

Tauba Tauba, How could anyone in this pure land be subjected to this? The holy man's wife don't bleed, the preachers woman don't ride the crimson tide, and the common fools mama was born menopausal. Shocking: ‘PadMan’ banned in Pakistanhttps://t.co/f7fxaWKnEJ — S Q (@escue1) February 10, 2018

Many, like, Girls at Dhabas are showcasing women holding a pad

The message this time is that Muslim girls menstruate. And that there is nothing against the traditions of Islam in the film Padman. They also addressed the issue of shame attached with menstruation. No one should be ashamed of shedding their uterine lining because it is a natural process. Making women feel bad about it and secluding them is not the answer. Since forever they have been made to feel impure because of a natural procedure her body undergoes. It is about time this mentality ends and the issue of good menstrual hygiene is tackled.

Hey Censor Board. Muslim women menstruate. Non Muslim women menstruate. There's nothing against our Islamic traditions… Posted by Girls at Dhabas on Montag, 12. Februar 2018

Many other women are following suit and sharing stories of their periods and the times that they have been shamed about it

#Padmanchallenge #UnbanPadmaninPakistanMy period just ended. Like millions of women, I too use cloth for soaking my… Posted by Girls at Dhabas on Dienstag, 13. Februar 2018

These acts of defiance have been appreciated by women all over Pakistan and they are commenting to show their support

Do you think that the censor board must be censured for such a decision? Do you agree that the board requires professionals who only judge the visual content rather than the subject matter of films because they are not the moral police?

Let us know in the comments below.

Cover image via: period.media