Dubbed as Mrs Funnybones, Twinkle Khanna has a long list of reasons to admire her. Bollywood actor turned author and producer Twinkle Khanna has been invited to speak at The Oxford Union, the world's most prestigious debating society, at 5 pm on Thursday 18th January.
The 43-year-old feminist will address the students of the Oxford University tomorrow, where she will also showcase her maiden production, 'PadMan'.
Mrs funnybones will be having a special screening of her upcoming production PadMan starring Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor. Interestingly, PadMan will be the first Indian film to be showcased at The Oxford Union.
Her latest endeavour, PadMan, the world’s first feature film on menstrual hygiene, is based on the life of activist Arunachalam Muruganantham, who revolutionised sanitary hygiene in rural India 20 years ago by inventing the low-cost sanitary pad machine in India. The film stars Twinkle's husband actor Akshay Kumar in the title role.
Through her address, Twinkle is set to explain why it is important the world knows Pad Man’s story, the imperative need to spotlight issues relating to menstrual hygiene, tackling taboos and breaking down the stigma attached to periods globally, and how movies have the potential to become movements.
Earlier while talking to a leading Indian news agency, Twinkle said; “Something that has been hidden in the darkness, furtively wrapped in newspaper, will finally be in the spotlight so that a young girl can go up to her parents and say that she needs sanitary pads over the ubiquitous fairness creams.”
In an interview with BBC World on menstrual hygiene, she said; “awareness, education and access to sanitary pads are the three things that would help in putting an end to period taboos. To what I see as nothing less than a tragedy that 20 percent of our school girls drop out of school when they start menstruating because they are unable to get access to sanitary pads or menstrual cups and have to rely on leaking pieces of cloth.” We hope PadMan initiates conversations and a positive change we really require in the 21st-century Indian society.
The film is based on a short story from Twinkle’s book ‘The Legends of Lakshmi Prasad’. Also featuring Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor, Pad Man is releasing in cinemas worldwide on 25th January.
