'There
Is
No
Pressure
On
Me'
Q.
Akshay,
does
delivering
about
four
films
a
year
bring
in
more
pressure
than
doing
maybe
doing
just
one?
A.
No,
there's
no
pressure.
I
have
been
doing
it
since
last
27
years
now.
To
be
more
precise,
twenty-seven
and
a
half
years.
I
enjoy
doing
it.
As
it
as,
I
wrap
up
my
films
in
40-50
days...i.e
4
films
in
200
days
and
then
there's
remaining
165
days.
What
will
I
do
of
that spare
time?
That's
when
I
end
up
doing
advertisments,
attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies
or
doing
shows.
(laughs)
'What's
The
Point
On
Focusing
So
Much
On
Defence
Weapons
When
Your
Women
Are
Not
Strong?'
Q.
Speaking
about
Padman,
talking
about
menstruation
cyle
is
still
considered
a
taboo
in
our
country.
When
did
you
first
get
to
know
about
this
process?
Was
it
ever
discussed
at
your
home?
A.
Like
every
household,
even
I
wasn't
aware
about
the
process
of
menstruation
as
it
was
hardly
discussed.
Slowly
as
life
progressed,
I
discovered
about
it.
But
the
detailed
understanding
came
in
about
two
years
back
before
we
started
making
Padman.
When
I
began
working
on
the
film,
I
realized
that
this
is
a
kind
of
movie
which
we
should
bring
in
front
of
the
people
and
tell
them
that menstruation
is not
a
taboo.
It's
a
natural
thing.
Then
when
I
meet
Arunachalam
Muruganantham,
I
realized
that
he
cared
a
lot
for
his
wife
and
that's
why
he
had
invented
that
low-cost
sanitary
pad
making
machine.
I
found
his
life
story
very
interesting.
I
loved
what
he
told
me-
'Strong
women
will
make
strong
country.'
I
realized
the
truth in
it.
What's
the
point
of
focusing
so
much
on
defence
weapons
when
your
women
are
not
strong?
It's
shocking
that
82%
of
women
don't
use
sanitary
pads.
Either
they
lack
the
money
or
ain't
aware
about
it.
They
are
excluded
out
during
those
days.
They
are
made
to
sleep
in
the
verandah
or
are
forbidden
to
enter
kitchen
and
places
of
worship.
Instead,
we
should
celebrate
menstruation
or
when
a
girl
hits
the
puberty
just
like
how
we
celebrate
a
New
Year
or
festivals
like
Holi,
Diwali.
It
makes
the
girl
think
that
something
good
has
happened
rather
than
making
her
feel
ashamed
by
speaking
in
whispers
and
considering
it
a
taboo.
When
I
came
to
know
more
about
menstruation,
I
thought
we
should
make
a
film
on
this
subject.
I
wanted
to
be
a
part
of
the
film
and
produce
it
with
my
wife.
I
am
very
happy
not
because
the
film
is
releasing
on
26th
January
or
how
much
money
it
would
collect
at
the
box
office.
The
best
thing
about
it
is
it
has
got
men
talking
about
pads
on
social
media
and
that's
the
victory
of
this
film.
'Sanitary
Pads
Should
Made
Available
Free'
Q.
But
many
a
times,
the
women
in
rural
areas
can't
afford
these
sanitary
napkins...
A.
I
agree
to
that.
According
to
me,
there
shouldn't
be
any
GST
on
sanitary
pads.
They
should
be
available
free.
Q.
Do
you
think
sending
out
a
message
in
the
form
of
an
entertaining
film
creates
more
impact?
A.
Yes,
it
does
create
more
impact.
When
a
documentary
comes
on
a
silver
screen,
I
have
seen
people
going
out
to
buy
food
or
take
a
loo
break
and
then
when
the
film
starts,
their
eyes
are
wide
open.
'I
Always
Had
A
Feeling
Of
Social
Responsibility
But
Lacked
The
Money
To
Make
Such
Films'
Q.
When
did
you
feel
that
you
need
to
be
socially
responsible
with
the
subjects
of
the
films?
A.
I
always
had
a
feeling
of
social
responsibility
but
didn't
have
the
money
to
make
these
films.
When
I
have
the
money
now,
I
have
started
producing
them.
Q.
Salim
Khan
had
recently
said
that
you
have
evolved
with
your
choices
as
an
actor
choices with
time
unlike
most
others
and
might
soon
leave
them
behind
in
the
race.
A.
It's
humble
of
him
to
say
such
good
words.
There
is
no
rule
or
regulation
for
how
to
make
a
hit
film
in
this
industry.
There
is
no
formula
for
success.
I
don't
know
about
my
improvement
but
I
make
sure
that
my
one
film doesn't
match
the
other
which
I
am
doing.
I
am
doing
Padman
and
then
comes
a
film
called
2.0
where
I
am
playing
the
main
villain
and
fighting
against
Rajinikanth.
A
lot
of
people
asked
me
why
I
wanted
to
play
a
villain's
role
and
I
told
them
why
not?
A
hero
will
exist
only
there's
a
villain.
I
liked
that
role
and
so
I
did
it.
'I
Mould
Myself
According
To
My
Directors'
Q.
In
recent
times,
you
have
worked
with
many
different
directors
including
first
timers.
Does
your
approach
towards
the
process
of
films
change
with
every
director?
A.
I
have
worked
with
21-22
new
directors
and
17
new
heroines
in
my
career.
My
process
is
that
when
I
am
working
with
a
director,
I
enact
and
reciprocate
the
way
he
is.
I
mould
myself
according
to
them.
Q.
After
topics
like
open
defecation
and
menstruation,
any
other
social
issue
that
you
would
like
to
do
a
film
on?
A.
Recently
at
a
meet-and-greet
session
at
a
radio
channel
station,
a
fan
sternly
told
me
that
after
Padman,
I
should do
a
film
on
dowry.
The
way
she
suggested
the
subject
struck
me.
'Arunachalam
Muruganantham
Revealed
That
He
Hates
Talking
To
Men'
Q.
Arunachalam
Muruganantham
is
a
man
with
a
strong
sense
of
humour.
What
was
your
take-way
when
you
first
met
him?
A.
I
drew
a
lot
of
inspiration
from
him
for
my
character.
In
the
beginning
when
I
tried
to
strike
a
converstaion,
he
would
not
talk
to
me.
Later
when
we
became
informal,
he
revealed
that
he
hates
talking
to
men.
He
said
he
likes
talking
to
women.
When
prodded
further
he
said,
"Sir,
they
(men)
are
very
slow.
They
take
too
much
time
to
understand
unlike
women."
'The
Day
I
Realize
I
Have
Slowed
Down
&
Don't
Have
The
Stamina,
I
Will
Step
Aside'
Q.
How
much
do
you
think
films
have
an
impact
on
the
rural
population
especially
when
they
deal
with
a
social
message?
A.
It
makes
more
impact
when
it
receives
the
support
from
the
government.
Like
'Toilet:
Ek
Prem
Katha' made
an
impact
because
it's
a
burning
issue
and
received
support
from
the
government
whether
it's
the
'Swacch
Bharat
Abhiyaan'
or
others.
Since
last
one
and
a
half
years,
I
have
been
studying,
thinking,
reading,
understanding
and
meeting
rural
women.
The
five
days
of
menstruation
are
like
hell
for
them.
It's
not
because
of
the
periods.
Instead,
they
are
surrounded
by
people
with
so
much
of
taboo
and
they
speak
so
ill
about
it.
There
isn't
any
proper
hygiene
for
them.
In
schools,
you
have
the
boys
teasing
the
girls
if
they
stain
their
skirt
with
period
blood.
I
was
completely
shocked
when
I
came
to
know
that
in
some
areas,
when
a
girl
is
on
her
periods,
people
say
'her
five-day test
match
has
began'.
This
is
their
code
word.
Q.
You,
the
three
Khans-
Shahrukh,
Salman.
Aamir
and
Ajay
Devgn
have
dominated
Bollywood
as
superstars
for
almost
two
decades.
Despite
the
age
catching
up,
you
guys
are
still
magnetic
on-screen.
But
after
six-seven
years,
what's
next?
Because
besides
Varun
Dhawan,
in
today's
times
the
public
isn't
going
to
the
theatres
for
the
actor.
Instead
they
are
being
driven
by
stories
and
strong
content.
But
there
was
a
time
when
an
actor
used
to
attract
the
audience
to
a
film...
A.
I
don't
know.
I
am
doing
my
work.
But
the
day
I
realize
that
I
have
slowed
down
and
don't
have
the
stamina,
I
will
step
aside.
Q.
What's
the latest
update
on 'Mogul',
the
biopic
on
Gulshan
Kumar?
A.
It's
still
in
the
scripting
stage.
Yes,
I
am
part
of
it.
'A
Film
Works
Solely
On
The
Content
&
Not
The
Actor'
Q.
Last
year
there
was
a
film
on
the
same
topic
(Phullu)
which
almost
went
unoticed
.
Do
you
think our
industry is
still
driven
by
a
star
system?
A.
There
is
no
formula
that
a
film
will
work
only
if
it
has
a
star.
A
small
film
may
also
do
well.
At
the
same
time,
a
star-driven
film
may
also
flop.
A
film
works
solely
on
the
content
and
not
the
actor.
Toilet:
Ek
Prem
Katha
was
made
on
a
budget
of
20-21
crores.
Padman
too
has
a
similar
budget.