MUMBAI: On the fourth anniversary of his National Award-winning film ‘Pad Man’, filmmaker R Balki walked down the memory lane and shared why the movie is ‘the most important’ project he has ever worked on.
Balki’s ‘Pad Man’, inspired by and based on the life of visionary Arunachalam Muruganantham, was one of the most empowering stories in Indian cinema. The film, starring superstar Akshay Kumar as Muruganantham, was a massive success at the box office. Co-starring Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte, the movie was widely appreciated for both — its clean storytelling and stellar performances by the cast.
On the film’s fourth anniversary, Balki walked down memory lane and spoke about why the film was an important one for him.
He said, “It was an important film and ode to one of the most creative minds, Muruganantham, who went about breaking this taboo of menstruation-related issues. The film furthered his cause and made it an acceptable family conversation – a huge task in even the developed countries! For me, Pad Man is the most important film I have made so far!”
The 56-year-old director also praised Akshay and said that he was “at his best and lived the role.” “A 13-minute monologue with fluctuating emotions in one take! Very few actors have done that in cinema! Truly a performance that touched me even as we were filming it!” Balki said. For the uninformed, at the 66th National Film Awards, ‘Pad Man’ received the award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.