Pad Man is a motivating biographical drama that puts much-needed emphasis on the hush-puppy around menstruation in rural India, and gives praise to the strength of imagination, empathy, and stick-toitiveness. The documentary tells the incredible story of a man (Arunachalam Muruganantham) who becomes a famous social entrepreneur who, through his love and the desire to change the life of women, turns out to be an ordinary man in the village. It starts with his marriage to Gayatri and the revelation that the women go through during menstruation and how hygienic their lives are, which drives him to establish the idea of producing sanitary pads at an affordable cost. With all the energy of his unstoppable work, the movie describes his experiments, his new discoveries, his failures, and the attempts to find a solution that could be partly miserable and partly amusing, but full of sincerity and hope, it makes his work relatable and encouraging.
The acts are so moving, in particular, the act of Laxmi (Pad Man) whose undying commitment and interest in the dignity of women make the story move. The movie is sensitive about such issues as menstruation and taboos in the society, and it balances the emotional and the light-hearted moments. The screenplay and direction are an excellent blend of how Laxmi sacrificed personally, how the society opposed him, and how he eventually overcame them all to deliver one of the most powerful messages of overcoming stigmas by doing something as simple and yet effective as that. The non-lead characters, such as Gayatri and Pari, give the film some emotional depth, emphasizing the issues of love, respect, and social transformation.
The most striking thing that comes out is how the film describes how an individual man is bent on going against the accepted social norms in the best interest of the community. It is a story which leaves hope, pride and admiration in its wake- how empathy and ingenuity can create societal change. Pad Man made me feel motivated and positive, and it is a reminder that, with proper intentions and motivation, even the smallest of ideas can produce a wave of change and transform whole communities.
