A king of Bollywood stars as India’s superhero inventor, saving women one month at a time
![It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's Menstrual Man!](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/9708/262141/5a65e22786930/Its-A-Bird-Its-A-Plane-Its-Menstrual-Man.jpg)
AKSHAY KUMAR, THE 10TH highest paid actor in the world—the Tom Cruise of Bollywood and People India’s one-time “Sexiest Man Alive”—can’t remember when he first heard the word menstruation. Sitting in a New York City hotel with his wife, the actress and best-selling author Twinkle Khanna, he considers this, blushing slightly, clearly flummoxed by the question. “I never sat down and thought about when I was introduced to it,” he says.
“With me!” exclaims Khanna, whose whimsical first name is a family thing (her mother is Dimple, her aunt Simple). Before that, she adds, “I don’t think he knew that menstruation existed.”
The question is relevant because Kumar is starring in Padman (opening January 25) about Arunachalam Muruganantham, the man who launched India’s sanitary pad revolution with the creation of a machine that makes inexpensive, sterilized pads. He, too, learned about menstruation only after he got married. “I think that’s the story for most men,” says Khanna, the film’s producer. “I was doing research for a column in The Times of India when I came across Muruganantham’s story.” She laughs. “I call him Muruga because even my tongue twists trying to pronounce his name!”
In 2015, as she began to fictionalize Muruga’s life for her book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, she realized that “unfortunately our world is filled with viewers, not readers. For the story to penetrate every household, to start a conversation, that’s how the idea of making a movie came about.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 26,2018-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 26,2018-Ausgabe von Newsweek Europe.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
![The Fight To Ban Child Marriage](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/Bn6wwccTp1718362066129/crp_THE-FIGHT-TO-BAN-CHILD-MARRIAGE.jpg)
The Fight To Ban Child Marriage
Under-18s can legally wed in most U.S. states but young spouses are often left physically, emotionally and economically vulnerable, campaigners say
![Major League Error](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/l9PbkYmR51718363275700/MAJOR-LEAGUE-ERROR.jpg)
Major League Error
Why baseball fans have long thought Ty Cobb to be a racist when he wasn't
![The TikTok Election](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/GkoGFXO5C1718362867813/THE-TIKTOK-ELECTION.jpg)
The TikTok Election
With both Donald Trump and Joe Biden now on the app, could it help determine the next U.S. president in November?
![Failure to Deliver](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/xQ7JRVNRL1718362474668/FAILURE-TO-DELIVER.jpg)
Failure to Deliver
Multinational companies embraced Chinese factories to lower costs. Their excessive reliance ended up being a central cause of the COVID supply chain meltdown
![BEST SPECIALISTS & SURGEONS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/k5h3ak1a-1718361137636/BEST-SPECIALISTS-SURGEONS.jpg)
BEST SPECIALISTS & SURGEONS
FINDING THE BEST MEDICAL SPECIALIST IS A DAUNTING TASK for anyone requiring specific treatment.
![SURGEONS MAGIC TOUCH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1731957/jf6JhFHJw1718359763107/SURGEONS-MAGIC-TOUCH.jpg)
SURGEONS MAGIC TOUCH
Americans turn down syringes but go UNDER SCALPELS. What do these doctors know that the rest of medicine doesn't?
![ARABIAIAN MIGHT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1724327/4_74oo9zN1717698801749/ARABIAIAN-MIGHT.jpg)
ARABIAIAN MIGHT
SAUDI ARABIA'S INCREASING STRENGTH MEANS IT NOW HAS MUCH MORE CLOUT WITH ITS PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE U.S.
![Bringing Trump's Trial to Life](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1724327/w4Y7L6jEy1717698240148/BRINGING-TRUMPS-TRIAL-TO-LIFE.jpg)
Bringing Trump's Trial to Life
Sketch artist Isabelle Brourman tells Newsweek what it was like covering the former president’s court case
![Iran Examines the Nuclear Option](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1724327/wZ6f99fHM1717697070537/IRAN-EXAMINES-THE-NUCLEAR-OPTION.jpg)
Iran Examines the Nuclear Option
Tehran’s rhetoric could spark an arms race in the Middle East like never before
![Climate Conviction at What Price?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/9708/1724327/I0pJRJSkn1717696240028/CLIMATE-CONVICTION-AT-WHAT-PRICE.jpg)
Climate Conviction at What Price?
Fifty years ago experts doubted Americans would pay to save the environment. Only some of their fears are still true