Thanks To 'PadMan' Trailer, Twitter Is Discussing... Wait For It... Periods

New Delhi: On Friday, the trailer of Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor's PadMan hit our social media feeds and the hashtag #PadManTrailer soon began trending. The film has been much-talked-about since being announced earlier this year by writer and former actor Twinkle Khanna. Based on one of the stories from her 2016 bestseller The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, the film is a biopic of Arunachalam Muruganantham - India's real life "PadMan". The social entrepreneur has spent nearly two decades of his life trying to ensure women in rural areas have access to affordable sanitary napkins, where menstruation remains taboo till date.

A school dropout from Coimbatore, Arunachalam Muruganantham is the man behind India's sanitary pad revolution. But his own journey hasn't been an easy one. He was made aware about the hardships of menstruation by his wife, Shanthi. Determined to help her, he developed a sanitary pad made out of cotton and even tried it on himself. Twenty years later, his organisation, "Jayshree Industries", with its 4,500 factories in 14 states across the country, gives millions of women from low-income groups the dignity of hygiene during menstruation.

But the topic of menstruation is not one confined to rural areas alone. India has a problem saying the "P-word." We all know medical store attendants who wrap sanitary napkins in newspaper and then a second layer of black plastic bag before handing them over. And that "Walk of Shame" at work of taking a sanitary napkin out of your bag, quickly shoving it in your pocket or hiding it under your arm and dashing towards the loo. All too familiar.

In a country that treats periods like Harry Potter's Voldemort (He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named), PadMan and Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar may just help trigger a much-needed dialogue on menstruation.

Scenes showing Akshay Kumar casually trying to wear a sanitary napkin or handing them to his sister (imagine the horror) seems to have got Twitterati talking about... wait for it... periods.

 

#PadManTrailer @akshaykumar nails it yet again..he is on a roll..Phenomenal growth as an actor..so effortless yet so impressive..film addresses a problem ppl don't generally discuss in a super entertaining manner..hats off..@kriarj @SonyPictures @aumarunmehra All the best!!

- Vishek Chauhan (@VishekC) December 15, 2017

#PadManTrailer Finally a film made on the subject of menstruation. Trust @mrsfunnybones to come up with the most unique and relevant subject for her production house maiden venture.Only @akshaykumar could been so effortless and convincing in this role. Eager waiting for the movie

- Sonia Chatterjee (@soniasmusings) December 15, 2017

https://t.co/Sm0WmfjPrq
Yes..every person(specially in vilg) need to know about What is Period nd why Girls should use pad? We should hv a chapter to study about #PAD in class 9/10. This is how yng generation know about it nd girls r more frankly about it.#PadManTrailer #Akshay

- Alok Kumar Sah (@alok_sah7) December 15, 2017

@akshaykumar @sonamakapoor @radhika_apte #balki awesome looking #PadManTrailer .. this is how one should give correct social message from entertainment..not by banning the adds related to it #againstcondomadban . @murugaofficial sir people like you are making India!

- Amit Mandakhalikar (@amyyt_m) December 15, 2017

A reality check on lack of knowledge of Hygiene and sanitary , which still happening in rural India , where health doesn't count over any myth and shyness .Hope this help in creating awarness on hygiene and women's health all over India . #PadManTrailer #healthmatters #hygiene

- Dailydosesofbeauty (@Dailydosesofbe2) December 15, 2017

for this will break one of the greatest myth of our country. This will be the start of a new India where no women will feel shy asking for sanitary pad at a shop & no men will be hesistant to buy one for his mom/wife/sis/daughter. #Padman #PadManTrailer

- HeeralRG (@HeeralRg) December 15, 2017

Padman - Can't Wait to Understand the Man's Understanding of Women. This Movie Will Definitely Bring a Drastic Change in the Thoughts of Indian Men. @PadManTheFilm @akshaykumar @mrsfunnybones #PadManTrailer

- Zaman Pasha (@ZamanPasha) December 15, 2017

Great trailer. Such an inspiring story. It's high time we break these social taboos wrt #periods in our country forever. Looking forward #AkshayKumar rocks

- Sourav Kumar Mahapatra (@Souravk_09) December 15, 2017

#PadManTrailer " Half hour men bleeding like woman they straight dying!!!! "Can't wait for this one... Super intriguing.. Another gem by #AkshayKumar

- Lipi Killedar (@KilledarLipi) December 15, 2017

PadMan, which releases on January 26, will see Akshay Kumar playing Lakshmikant Chauhan who develops a low-cost pad for his wife, played by Radhika Apte. Actor Sonam Kapoor also stars in the film, which has been produced by Twinkle Khanna and directed by R Balki.