Akshay Kumar's Pad Man is all set to get release on Feb 9. The film talks about "The Sanitary Man of Sacred Land", which is inspired from the life of Arunachalam Murugunantham, a Tamil Nadu-based social activist who revolutionized the concept of menstrual hygiene in rural India and invented low-cost sanitary pads.
With the film Akshay Kumar along with the makers ( Prernaa Arora from KriArj Entertainment and Twinkle Khanna) aims to bring about a change in the society and eliminate taboos associated with Menstruation.
Here are the
leading ladies of television industry talking about menstruation taboos and
Akshay's idea of Pad Man:
Tejasswi Prakash
The creation of
menstrual taboos took place independently and repeatedly across different
peoples and geographies. But I and many other educated and brave girls don’t
agree to it but have a question, why this happened? I feel lucky, my mom
have educated me properly about the same. It’s just natural
phenomenon every female experience. It’s a blessing not punishment. I have
never believed or followed any limitations during my days. It’s like any other
day. But sad to learn how many girls are limited at times. I am happy that
Akshay Kumar came up with such a movie which will educate people and may change
the minds who think it to be a taboo.
Roop Durgapal
We can’t call
ourselves educated if even in 2018, we term something as natural as periods to
be a taboo. First of all people need to understand that it’s because of periods
that we all were born. Biologically, if a woman doesn't get periods, she can't
give birth. So, it’s illogical to term it a taboo or something dirty. I
refuse to follow anything which doesn't make sense to me and stand by it- be it
going to temples during periods, entering kitchen or going out to play. I have
done it all and never ever believed in anything which was not
scientific. Definitely Pad Man has a potential to bring about a
change in our society in terms of how we think of periods, as movies are a
mirror to the society and showing mirror at times helps in correcting
ourselves. I wish after watching Pad Man, people can stop being abnormal around
conversations regarding women's menstrual health.
Devoleena
Bhattacharjee 
Menstruation
stigma is a form of misogyny. Negative taboos condition us to understand
menstrual function as something to be hidden, something shameful. And by not
naming a thing, we reinforce the idea that the thing should not be named. But
have periods always needed code words? Where did these words come from, and how
did they come about? Were periods always considered a negative
experience? I have grown-up in a very good family. My mother always helped
me taking periods very easily. I still remember during my first time, my mom
was with me, she used to feed me more than other days, get me juice and healthy
food and during the night she used to make me sleep next to her. But many of my
friends use to cry during the time of periods because of their family’s weird
reactions.
Rakhi
Sawant 
Periods are not a
taboo! Women are literally put in isolation during their periods. The reason
stems back to “being unclean.” Women cannot be around men or they can’t do any
good work. The myth goes back to the belief that a woman’s unhygienic
condition will anger saints. I got my periods very late, when I was
16. When my friends started talking about their periods and bleeding, I used to
question my mom. Then, one day suddenly when no one was at home, I started
bleeding and was crying loud and screaming. Later, when I called my mom and
spoke to her regarding the same she educated me how to handle it and be
hygienic. I salute the man who invented sanitary pads else using cloths and
cotton is very bad. I wasn't tortured for it any day but have seen
girls forced out from their homes and treated weirdly.
Sara Khan
Menstrual cycle
is a natural process intrinsically linked with a woman’s body. Still many
consider it to be a taboo and follow restrictions during menstrual cycles-
whether it’s in our homes, relatives’ homes or at any religious event. My mom
taught me how to be careful during these days, that’s all. But I have read
about girls in many cultures, the menstrual cycle was seen as a gift
and when a girl would menstruate for the first time, it would be celebrated in
public. But this again is a problematic view as the menstrual cycle was seen as
a boon for reproduction. Even when people celebrated it, they had a
reductionist view that a woman’s ultimate goal in life is
reproduction. I'm thankful that Akshay Kumar thought of making a film on
an important topic to educate society. In today's date it was really important.
Image Source:Instagram/SaraKhan/RakhiSawant/DevoleenaBhattacharjee