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Twinkle Khanna advocates better education on menstrual hygiene

Indian film ‘Pad Man’ dubbed first feature film on the subject

Supplied Content (Edited) with Soundbites

London, January 20, 2018

Bestselling female Indian author, film producer and woman empowerment champion Twinkle Khanna joined a canon of esteemed cultural, political and high-profile figures as she addressed students on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at The Oxford Union, the world’s most prestigious debating society.

The event came ahead of the worldwide release of her highly anticipated debut as Producer of ‘Pad Man’ in cinemas on January 25, 2018.

The day also saw a meeting between Twinkle and youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Oxford University student Malala Yousafzaito discuss education of girls.

Mrs Funnybones

Popularly known to her readers as ‘Mrs Funnybones,’ which also doubles as the title of her first book and columns, Twinkle Khanna’s debut book ‘Mrs Funnybones’ sold over 100,000 copies. This feat made her the highest-selling female author in India with her second book, ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad,’ landing at number two on Amazon India’s Bestseller List.

The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad featured a number of short stories, one of which was the story of a man who invented a machine to make low-cost sanitary pads. Recognising a vital need to have this story shared to a wider audience, Twinkle had turned producer to develop it for the big screen.

Pad Man scores a first

The result is her latest endeavour, Pad Man, the world’s first feature film on menstrual hygiene, based on the life of social entrepreneur and activist Arunachalam Muruganantham, who revolutionised sanitary hygiene in rural India 20 years ago.

Pad Man traces Arunachalam Muruganantham’s international journey from an outcast exiled from society for his endeavours to delve into such a taboo subject, to becoming a superhero of India’s modern history, as he followed his dream to bring a revolution to menstrual hygiene in India.

Twinkle at the Oxford

Eager students flocked to The Oxford Union to see Twinkle Khanna’s highly anticipated speech and Q&A session, in what marked the first time for an Indian film to be showcased at the institution.

Twinkle’s speech had the audience chuckling throughout as she candidly recalled what drew her to the story of the real-life Pad Man Muruganantham.

“Arunachalam Muruganantham’s story fascinated me. He is the first man to wear a sanitary pad – imagine that!”

She went on to note the significance of his achievements, “To me, he is an example that intelligence is truly not constrained within the boundaries of a particular language or a formal mechanism like education.”

Importance of the Issue

Twinkle engaged the audience by explaining why the world needs to know about Pad Man’s story and the importance of spotlighting issues relating to menstrual hygiene.

“My primary motivation to make a movie on menstruation was to bring awareness to a subject that so far has been tucked away in shadows and like Voldemort is never mentioned,” Twinkle said.

She pointed out the global nature of the problems including in the UK, saying, “In the beginning, I thought that period poverty was only a problem in my country and countries like Africa, Bangladesh, but groups such as Plan International UK have found that one in ten school girls in the UK itself are missing school because they are unable to afford hygiene products and end up using substitutes like rolled up socks.”

Controversial taxes

Twinkle’s speech also dealt with the controversial taxes on sanitary products, the impact of menstrual hygiene on girls’ education and even surprised the audience with a few questions of her own for the women in the audience.

About The Oxford Union

Approaching its 200th anniversary, The Oxford Union has an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford, with the aim of promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe. Former participants include US Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan; Sir Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Malcolm X, Mother Teresa, Sir Elton John, the Dalai Lama, Michael Jackson, Malala Yousafzai, Morgan Freeman, Shashi Tharoor, and Buzz Aldrin, to name but a few. Twinkle Khanna’s participation continues The Oxford Union’s fine tradition of hosting world leaders in every field.

About the Pad Man

Produced by Mrs Funnybones Movies, SPE Films India, KriArj Entertainment, Cape of Good Films and Hope Productions, Pad Man is written and directed by adman turned film-man R Balki (Paa). It is billed as the most progressive family entertainer yet, starring international megastar Akshay Kumar (Toilet: Ek Prem Katha) who assumes the titular role of Arunachalam Muruganantham. He is joined by critically acclaimed actresses Sonam Kapoor (Neerja) and Radhika Apte (Kabali).

Pad Man releases in cinemas worldwide on the January 25, 2018.

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Soundbite 01

Twinkle on stumbling on Arunachalam Muruganantham’s story

https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/251734322/e8393ffe5d

Soundbite 02

Twinkle on first meeting Arunachalam Muruganantham and his views

https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/251742928/9714504141

Soundbite 03

Twinkle on period poverty

https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/251734404/59f96d1377

Soundbite 07

Q Who has been your role model

https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/251734491/aa703ecb6b

 

Photo Caption:

  1. Twinkle Khanna at The Oxford Union on January 25
  2. Twinkle Khanna with Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate
  3. The Oxford Union Photo Call for ‘The Pad Man’

(Pictures Supplied)

Source: Sterling Media, UK

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