Newsweek

King of Bollywood's Menstruation Movie

Akshay Kumar's latest movie, 'Padman,' tells the story of a superhero who doesn’t wear a cape or have a superpower. It’s about the man who launched India’s sanitary pad revolution.
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar filmed scenes for his upcoming movie, Padman, in New York City.
AS1_0327

I was sitting across from the 10th highest paid actor in the world, and I had just asked him about the first time he learned of menstruation. He stared at me, then at his wife, then back at me, his cheeks turning pink. Finally he started to laugh.

This was my introduction to , the Tom Cruise of Bollywood. In the early ‘90s he became famous playing action heroes, earning him “Sexiest Man Alive” by in 2008. He also won India’s National Award for Best Actor for his role in the 2016 film,. Last year, he earned more than Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hanks

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Newsweek

Newsweek1 min read
The Archives
“Fewer than 14 percent of AIDS victims have survived more than three years after being diagnosed, and no victim has recovered fully,” Newsweek reported during the epidemic. AIDS, caused by severe HIV, has no official cure. However, today’s treatment
Newsweek7 min readWorld
Resurgence of Global Mayhem
WITH MUCH OF INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION gripped by the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the Islamic State militant group has been steadily ramping up operations across continents and setting the stage for a resurgence of global mayhem. This latent threat
Newsweek1 min read
Living On The Edge
An 18th-century cottage clings to the precipice following a dramatic cliff fall in the coastal village of Trimingham on April 8. The homeowner, who bought the property in 2019 for around $165,000, will now see the structure demolished as the saturate

Related