Padman- A husband’s undying quest for his wife’s menstrual hygiene

Biopics are an inspiration not only for the people involved in its making but also for the masses. As it portrays stories of individuals, who have achieved something substantial in their life by sheer determination and will power. I happen to watch one such biopic recently and it was Padman- A husband’s undying quest for his wife’s menstrual hygiene.

Journey of India’s Padman (Mr. Arunachalam Muruganantham) effortlessly portrayed by Akshay Kumar in the movie. What caught my attention was, when a man is ready to stand up for his wife? Why wasn’t his wife supporting him? As whatever he was doing it only for her not for him. Most men aren’t much aware about pads and its importance in a women’s life till they get married. 

Padman is the story about a man who was so engrossed in his wife’s menstrual hygiene that he couldn’t see or feel anything other than ensuring a hygienic solution for his wife, during her menstruation. All he wanted was that his wife should use pad instead of cloth, as pads was more hygienic and safe in comparison to clothes. Usage of clothes can lead to infection and death in some cases. His wife was reluctant to use pads as they were pretty expensive and clothes were economical.  It was this thought which forced an ordinary man to become the Padman, man who made economical pads.

But the agony is that Padman’s view point was never understood by anyone, first set of people to boycott his vision was his own family member, which was eventually joined by society. It went to the extent that he was ousted from his village with little or no means of survival. His wife, for whom he started the initiative, could have played an instrumental role in his enduring journey but too left him mid-way, making him lonelier.

These adverse situations weren’t strong enough to break the determination of Padman, who vowed not to turn back unless he has been successful in making budget friendly pad for the ladies of the county. He has foreseen each adversity as an opportunity to grow and learn. His failures did break him but not to the extent that it deters him from his mission. That’s Padman, kudos to him

Padman was successful in making budget friendly pads but he was unsuccessful in finding the right set of people who could visualize his vision and tell him that he has achieved his goal. Unless a woman (character played by Sonam Kapoor in the movie) comes to his village and uses Padman’s  pad and apprise him that his mission has been accomplished. She was so moved by Padman’s saga that she decided to help him. That was the turning point of his life.

His days of struggle and insult were replaced with honor and recognition. His invention was not only acknowledged in India but globally too, this was evident by the fact that he was invited as a speaker at United Nation. Padman has really travelled a long way from the lanes of his village to the roads in London. But these fame didn’t change him as an individual, he was the same old villager who wanted soothe his wife during her menstruation.

Many international companies approached Padman to buy his invention at astronomical prices but he rejected those offers, telling them that the purpose of his invention is to serve ladies of the country with low cost pads and not to earn capitalize his invention as done by multinational companies in past, which forced him to become Padman.

A pad that changed the life of Padman and ladies of the country