It has been since times immemorial that menstruation is considered as a taboo. The number of superstitions and the social conditioning associated with this biological process of a monthly bleeding signal at our society’s odiously irrational attitude towards its women, even in the 21st-century. In an era wherein hefty feminism is opening all the deaf ears and blind eyes, menstruation has emerged as the newest firearm. And it is sure not to backfire.

Introduction

Releasing next April, PadMan is the true story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur and Padma Shri awardee, who revolutionized the production of low-cost sanitary napkins in India. The film is being directed by R Balki and is Twinkle Khanna’s debut venture under the Mrs. Funnybones production banner.

The problems of menstruation and the taboo attached to it are, on a major scale, due to the lack of accessibility of sanitary napkins to girls and women. Young girls drop out of school and women face numerous diseases oftentimes leading to death only for the reason that they don’t have the resources to buy sanitary napkins. PadMan is the story of a man who endeavored to support these girls and women in a manner that wasn’t just unprecedented but also a shining ray of hope in a world full of gloom for these females.

Changing Dimensions of Women Empowerment

The idea of empowering women in today’s society has, quite unfortunately, become hypocritical on a massive level. The political parties seem to be doing everything to target each other which clearly amount to nothing. The intelligentsia, on the other hand, has failed to realize its words, thereby, failing to achieve anything at all. It is the same society that protests against rapes and molestations and it is the same society that sends rape threats to women for raising their voice, Gurmehar Kaur to serve the evidence.  It is this muddled idea of women empowerment which has hampered all real action and serves only sugar-coated words for the sake of it.

The story of PadMan brings in a new dimension of women empowerment which has given a more than real meaning to this term.

Face-Lifting Feminism

Feminism, a movement that started a century back, has come to gain enormous momentum in the present world. There is a huge energy that surrounds the idea of feminism and it has worked in a mixed manner of both positive and negative impact. What is wrong with this movement in the present Indian context is the shame associated with it. There is a lack of essential humility and pride that has resulted in the emergence of pseudo-feminism. Proclaiming yourself as a feminist and bringing other women down falsifies the whole idea.  

Twinkle Khanna, through the story of PadMan, has ventured to present a new face of feminism. It does not have to be fundamentally a woman-focused campaign. It is open to all those who have the desire and determination to change the society’s orthodox disgraces to the women. The movie is definitely a face-lift to the current idea of feminism and the pretense that surrounds it.

The movie industry works to influence more people than any other industry in this country. With an informational and inspiring journey like that of the PadMan, people are sure to receive an incentive to work towards changing the present scenario in the favor of the females.