Language - Hindi
Director - R Balki
Run Time - 2 hours, 20 minutes
Genre - Drama/Biography
Starring - Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor
Akshay Kumar has really evolved from his days of cringe-worthy comedy and with Padman, he delivers us another simple yet thought-provoking film. Pad Man is a movie based on the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who just wants his wife to go through menstruation safely.
But such things being taboo in India, (and in Pakistan too - the movie is currently banned there due to the word 'Pad' in its title) he is heckled, ridiculed and even ostracized during his mission. Akshay Kumar plays the bumbling, yet diligent Lakshmikant Chauhan. Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor act as supporting characters in each half of the film, which adds more depth to the film.
Though the movie is a bit long, it's not a bore. R Balki mixes drama and emotion with subtle comedy, as well as a multitude of characters to give us an enjoyable movie. But more than that, it opens our eyes to the trauma women bear, like sleeping away from family and being derided as test-match players during the 5 days of 'chums'. Also, the fact that only 12% women in the country use pads, is shocking.
Quite the feel-good movie, go for it.
My Rating - 6.9/10
