Girls and women on their periods who do not have access to sanitary products are being forced to stuff tissues and even socks down their underpants.

For the homeless, it’s even more dire as they have to resort to using plastic bags to stop blood leaking through their clothes.

As awkward as it might be for some, a Bollywood film, Pad Man, is urging us all to address the topic of menstrual hygiene- a film which shows how important the conversation is, not least because extras on set ran away after being asked to hold sanitary products, not returning.



Trying to get rid of the taboo and ‘icky’ attitude towards sanitary products, beauty icon Sonam Kapoor plays the female lead.


She told Metro.co.uk how she immediately said yes to the script and also asked dad, Bollywood legend Anil Kapoor, to also approve.

(Picture: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

‘I told my dad, “I think you should hear it with me, it’s amazing, I’ve said yes to doing this film”, he asked what it is about and I said he needs to hear it, my dad was laughing through it and he was like “fantastic”, that is the kind of attitude I’ve been bought up with. My dad didn’t think “what kind of a story is this? It’s about periods, how is a lady going to do it?”, he said it’s a fab story.’

The film is about the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham who encountered his wife using unhygienic sanitary towels and wanted to make some, primarily for his wife, but then turned it into a movement for other poor women.

Capturing the essence of his life and work was especially meaningful for Sonam in one particular scene. The 32-year-old said: ‘There is a whole sequence of me going and selling sanitary products in the villages and that idea of explaining to women why it’s better for them, was some of my favourite parts.

(Picture: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

‘Seeing Akshay (lead actor) give his speech in New York, it was amazing to see him do that, I had tears in my eyes, just because you could feel the spirit of what this man was about, to understand with humour and hope, and creative understanding of what is going around, just seeing that these kind of ordinary men who do extraordinary things do exist, to see that gives you hope and it’s nice to see them being celebrated.’

Another famous face spoke to Metro.co.uk about the controversial film; esteemed actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna, who produced it.

The 43-year old said: ‘There were three things that were compelling about this story, one that he was a man interested in what is seen as a woman’s problem. Two, in India being fluent in English is considered intelligence and here is a man who barely speaks it. But he went on to becoming an innovator which shows that intelligence is not constrained in the boundaries of particular language.



‘The third thing that fascinated me was social entrepreneurship, which he told Bill Gates, about teaching someone how to fish, not giving them fish, and earn a living, so what he does is only sell machines to women’s groups so they earn a livelihood as well as have access to sanitary products. These were the factors that compelled me to write it.’

(Picture: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Asked if she worried about the reception of a topic that is not only taboo in India but around the world, she added: ‘I’m excited that people are going to hear about it, I just think we’re straightforward with what we say and think, I don’t think that’s our worry about what people think and say, the whole idea is to be a part of something that is of consequence and is about something we care about.’

Twinkle, 43, and wife of the male lead Akshay Kumar said: ‘There’s nothing you’re going to find appalling or uncomfortable in the film. Because you are grappling with a topic you’ve never spoken about before, you might be taken aback at first but after that you’re immersed, it’s unapologetically about sanitary pads and about this man’s complete journey, a very inspiring journey.

‘Our message has been very clear. I did have some apprehensions before the trailer was released but later it became one of the most watched trailers. There’s been an overwhelmingly positive reception.

‘The impression is that period poverty is something that is only affecting Bangladesh, Indian and Africa but even in the UK it’s prevalent, with homelessness, people under the poverty line, one in 10 girls missing school because they don’t have access. It’s a global problem.

‘The message was to start a conversation, its already done it in India, and globally, its the first film to be shown at Oxford university, I think is a big step, this is something that I’m hoping with enough reiteration this hiding, holding back, will soon disappear.’


Pad Man will be released on 9 February.

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