India's most unlikely superhero
Padman Story: Concerned
about his wife Gayatri’s (Radhika Apte) menstrual hygiene, Lakshmikant
Chauhan (Akshay Kumar) urges her to ditch the cloth and opt for sanitary
napkins. Gayatri is reluctant to go for disposable pads as they are
expensive. Lakshmi obsessing over a ‘ladies problem’ makes her cringe
but he insists on bringing upon a change by addressing the taboo topic.
Subjected to hostility for ruffling the religious and age-old beliefs of
people around, can the man brave the resistance and get his point
across?
Padman Review: The people who are
crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
Through Padman, R Balki tells the real life inspiring story of
Arunachalam Muruganantham (played by Akshay Kumar), a social
entrepreneur from Coimbatore, who invented low cost sanitary napkins in
India, despite the massive opposition and humiliation he was subjected
to. The director changes the film’s setting to Maheshwar, Madhya
Pradesh, while retaining the core of his courageous story.
Given
the constant mention of statistics pertaining to the inadequate
percentage of women who use pads in India, and reiteration of the film’s
issue based motive, Padman often seems like a Public Service
Advertisement parading as a commercial film. In order to appeal to the
lowest common denominator, things are over-explained and all of this
results in a sluggish progression of events. However, given how awkward
women are made to feel even today while buying sanitary pads from a
medical store, this social drama makes for an important film that needs
to be watched.
Having said that, in portions, Balki struggles
to maintain a balance as it’s not easy to entertain, spread awareness
and sensitize people about the issue, all at one go. His semi-humorous
and urban outlook at a predominantly rural issue, isn’t seamless as the
script often meanders but he redeems himself in scenes that convey a lot
more through unspoken words. A quiet moment when Gayatri realises
Lakshmi’s concern for her after she sees her brother abusing and
neglecting his wife’s health is heart-breaking. Lakshmi’s reaction to
his first consumer’s feedback is equally moving.
The
‘superhero’ of the film — Akshay Kumar, makes you wonder why he
continues to be one of our most underrated actors, despite such immense
body of work. He going as far as wearing a pink ladies underwear and a
pad to prove a point, goes on to show how actors are willing to push
boundaries and embrace their screen characters for the films they
believe in. Radhika Apte portrays her part beautifully, making her
character relatable to the section of women, who still face such
societal taboos. Sonam Kapoor too lights up the screen with her candour
and makes her presence felt in a significant role.
Known for
making films that work towards bridging the age and gender gap, Balki’s
Padman is an empowering film that gives you the wings, despite the
odds. It will free women of their inhibitions and that will be its
biggest success. Period!
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