PADMAN- Reviews, Box Office, Discussions. - Page 4

'PadMan has its premise in place. Now if only it had some wings,' says Sukanya Verma.

Akshay Kumar is a man on a mission.

Most of his acclaimed work in recent times involves him taking up a cause that'll enrich society or whip up nationalistic fervour.

There's an obvious enthusiasm in him to play characters taking a morally high ground. And while it is advantageous to spearhead significant subjects, a monotony of earnestness has set in.

In the R Balki-directed PadMan, Akshay is back to playing a considerate husband fighting provincial mind-sets and social taboos. Only this time creating a disposable sanitary pad -- not toilet -- occupy his unwavering attention.

His Lakshmikant Chauhan is a man of exceptional sensitivity and ingenuity. Something his young bride, raised on orthodox, old school beliefs can neither understand nor appreciate.

Where most actresses wouldn't rise above annoyingly regressive, Radhika Apte imbues her character's embarrassment and irritation with a heartfelt understanding of a woman caught between her cravings for comforting conventionality while faced with boldness beyond her grasp.

She is like as her husband complains, 'Rani Mukerji ke zamane mein Devika Rani ki dialogue bol rahi ho.'

The other women in his life -- his elderly mother and three sisters -- aren't allowed such complexity. They are little more than scandalised, scampering, bunnies every time Lakshmi appears before them flashing a sparkling white pad in hand.

Undeterred by his family's disapproval and social ostracism, Lakshmi endeavours to discover the mechanism behind a serviceable pad in a manner that looks unexpectedly comfortable and pleasant on screen.

Scenes where he is sitting by a pretty pond encircled by frangipani flowers and heaping cotton wads on fresh green leaves are filmed in a curiously delicious manner (by P C Sreeram), as though he's packing tiffin of steamed idlis. Nor has receiving free samples of materials from overseas suppliers ever looked more at the snap of a finger.

Although the treatment is understated if compared to Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, its feminist hero ethos -- Ek aurat ki hifazat mein nakamiyab aadmi apne aap ko mard kaise keh sakta hai? -- are almost identical.

Menstruation is seldom a part of our conversation in the movies. And PadMan scores for highlighting the shocking disregard for menstrual hygiene as well as unjustified steep pricing of means that offer protection from the same a lot more effectively than last year's Phullu.

What PadMan is aiming for is admirable and a genuine concern, but it isn't always above the missteps common to most films of the meaningful genre.

In the beginning, it adopts a largely logical approach at the rampant problem. Save for the 'Test match' slur, not much is dwelled upon the absurd superstitions associated with menstruation, an outlook that is prevalent among the educated and privileged lot as well.

Instead, PadMan's energy is directed in documenting Lakshmi's journey and experiments into a fairy-tale triumph replete with Balki regular Amitabh Bachchan's blessing and all.

To Balki's credit he presents these technical pursuits with enough excitement to sustain interest.

There's a recurring parallel in the visuals of Hindu Gods like Hanuman and Krishna as coconut and Prasad vending machines of religious expectations next to Lakshmi's socially frowned engineering, which subtly conveys the challenges of introducing practical methods in a deeply convoluted network of obsolete beliefs.

It is inspired by the true story of Coimbatore's Arunachalam Muruganantham and his award-winning invention, one that not only offered functional, economical sanitary napkins but also empowered women as means to earn an independent livelihood featured as a fictionalised short story in co-producer Twinkle Khanna's The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad.

PadMan dramatises his reality to accomodate romance and distinction with a calculation that is one of the weakest aspects of an otherwise constructive narrative.

Serving as catalyst to this purpose, Sonam Kapoor contributes with her sartorial elegance and appears at home in her character's urban, rational and humanitarian sensibilities. But Balki's need to complicate her platonic equation with Akshay leaves the viewer both confused and distracted.

The big speech at UN to follow, a cheap imitation of Sridevi's, from the director's better half Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish, rechrishtened Linglish here, single-handedly demolishes everything Akshay's carefully calibrated performance has worked for.

It's one thing to come out great and entirely another to claim it. 'Mad only become famous,' he stresses in a monologue reeking of 'Look, how socially conscious I am.' The affectation is conspicuous and disappointing especially when even the blood stains in his pants seemed more sincere.

For all its worth, PadMan has its premise in place. Now if only it had some wings.

Rediff Rating:

• SHARE
• TWEET
• COMMENT

We just saw Pad Man and we are not getting over it any sooner. Directed by the genius R Balki who has made stupendous movies like Cheeni Kum, Paa etc in the last, Pad Man is another masterpiece by him. Dealing with the very crucial yet ignored social issue of menstrual hygiene of women in India, the film has tried it's level best to deal with the problem in a mature and satirical way, Padman scores big in terms of being the most socially relevant film in the recent past putting it in the category of films like Pink, TEPK etc. The movie is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham who has won Padma Shri for his social activism & inventions.

Akshay Kumar plays the character of Laxmikant Chauhan who lives in a small village in Madhya Pradesh with his wife Gayatri played by Radhika Apte, his mother and sisters. He is not much qualified and works in a workshop to sustain his and his family's livelihood. When he comes to know about his wife using dirty clothes whenever she is chumming, he gets determined for finding a permanent & healthy plus hygienic solution for the women of her family. Focussed yet without a practical solution & guidance, Laxmi tries all ways to convince his wife & other women to try the pad he made but because it is seen in such a bad light and as it is such a big taboo of men talking forget giving pads to women, he is soon after disgusted in the whole village. After his countless but failed attempts, Laxmi leaves the village after he is ridiculed by the whole village just before Gayatri's family decides to take her away from him. He goes to a village near Indore and starts working on his invention where he meets Sonam Kapoor who plays an MBA student, Rhea whom he accidentally gives a pad he invented in her needy time. After getting to know about Laxmi's vision, she helps him to take his dream further by making him take part in a competition which he eventually wins and gets funded for expanding his brilliant idea. Inspired by this turn up of events, Laxmi with Rhea's help starts providing cheap sanitary pads to all parts of the nation and even outside India. He returns proudly to the village and gets the much-needed validation, respect and the love of her life, Gayatri.

Coming to the performances, Akshay Kumar as Laxmi is the life of the film. The actor will make you laugh and cry all at the same time and here is where he scores as an actor yet again after TEPK. Easily the solo actor responsible for bringing major awareness for socially relevant issues of our nation and bringing a large change, Kumar once again plays his role beautifully and honestly. His heartfelt speech in the film will move you and his performance will make you go all mushy. He proves he is the real man of B-Town by doing this film and bringing it out. Radhika Apte has delivered a kickass and surreal performance playing a woman who is old school and regressive, ie, playing a total opposite of what she is in real life. She looks beautiful and you will fall in love with her innocence. Sonam Kapoor as Rhea gives a mature performance where she looks confident, outspoken and adds the right amount of progressiveness in the film. The actress is very believable in what she did and has shunned her critics.

The real winner, nevertheless, is R Balki who directed the movie with such perfection and the noble perception that you will have to laud him for his brilliant effort. A topic which has never been made into a full-length feature film needs guts and he has kept the movie fast-paced, hard-hitting on both the heart and the brain and has made it really enjoyable & entertaining. The music is soulful and melodious proving yet again why Amit Trivedi can be the next AR Rahman. The cinematography in the film needs a special mention and is crafted very effectively. We will want you all to go watch this film, especially with the full family this coming weekend as it needs to be seen with everyone no matter what.

Our rating: 4/5