Movie Review - PadMan - Akshay Kumar Delivers An Applause Worthy Film

Rating: 4/5 stars

During the second half of PadMan, there is a particular scene whereby couple of young women ask Akshay Kumar whether by any chance he would have a sanitary pad at home. This is where he immediately pulls out one from his pocket and nonchalantly hands it over to the them.

Well, the adage of ‘jeb mein leke ghoom raha hoon kya’ couldn’t have been truer!

There are many such wonderful and lovely moments in this R. Balki directed film that make you smile and also drop a tear or two at regular intervals. Realistic, endearing and heartwarming could well be the adjectives that apply for PadMan which is a difficult subject that is narrated entertainingly by the entire team.

To think of it, the core plot line of a man deciding to make low cost sanitary napkins is stuff that documentary films are made of. Still, the core team of Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, R. Balki, Prernaa Arora and Radhika Apte decided to come together, follow their vision and present something to the audience that has never been told before on the big screen in such an entertaining manner.

Moreover, unlike Toilet - Ek Prem Katha that still had a blooming love story at the start (before sanitary issues starting piling up), PadMan comes to the point in the first five minutes itself. After a quick fire marriage sequence (conveyed beautifully through the ultra-romantic number ‘Aaj Se Meri’), it is time to discuss periods and the hygiene issues attached to it. This is where matters are handled quite sensitively as nothing is over the top and there are lighter moments thrown in too even as all eyes are on the subject at hand.

That said, one can’t deny the fact that at places the film does turn overbearing. While it was right to convey the social taboos associated with periods, it all tends to become a tad repetitive as not just the entire village but even the protagonist’s family turns their back towards him. You look for certain relief in the proceedings and though the sequence just before the interval does take the film to a high, you look forward to a much euphoric second half.

This is where Sonam Kapoor enters the scene and along with her Akshay Kumar and Balki take the film to the next level altogether. It is this side of the film’s graph which holds your attention in a much bigger way and the entire second half goes by in a jiffy. The trials and tribulations along with failures and success followed by disappointments and euphoria ensure that PadMan turns out to be a roller coaster ride that is worth taking.

Of course the best is reserved for the last when Akshay Kumar delivers his speech at the United Nations. This has to go down as a landmark sequence in Hindi cinema and something that would be remembered for decades to come since there is a lot of honesty in not just the spoken words but also the manner in which Akshay Kumar says it all for the camera. He has been a part of the industry for over 25 years and yet he brings something new to the table each time around. This has to go down as an applause worthy performance indeed.

Same can well be said for the film as a whole too since you can’t help but clap for what it says in entirety. Moreover, it is not just Akshay Kumar but the support provided by Sonam Kapoor as well which makes PadMan as a wholesome affair. The beauty of her characterisation is that she is sweet, charming, endearing, natural and an understanding partner that makes you fall in love with her instantly.

As for the film, it definitely deserves a watch. It is a rare to find an entertainer which also aims at educating and in that aspect the makers definitely deserve a pat on their back for trying out something as unconventional as this and yet managing to score well.