Akshay
Kumar
says
young
boys
need
to
be
educated
about
menstruation
so
that
they
become
more
sensitive
about
the
"natural
biological
process".
The
50-year-old
actor
said
boys
and
men
need
to
be
made
aware
so
that
the
stigma
surrounding
periods
is
eliminated.
"We
need
to
teach
young
boys
to
behave
first.
(The
way
they
behave)
is
also
the
reason
why
girls
drop
out
from
schools," Akshay
said.
The
actor
was
the
chief
guest
at
Niine
Movement's
"Menstrual
Awareness
Conclave"
to
mark
International
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day.
During
the
event
the
actor
felicitated
nine
people
for
spreading
awareness
on
menstrual
hygiene
acrossIndia.
When
Akshay
asked
one
of
the
honourees,
Dr
Bharati
Lavekar,
if
there
is
a
taboo
associated
withmenstruation
in
urban
areas,
she
replied
in
an
affirmative.
"Even
today
in
a
city
like
Mumbai
and
in
21st
century,
it
is
difficult
to
talk
to
people
about
periods,"
she
said.
To
this
Akshay
replied,
"Taboos
will
break.
Make
them
watch
'Pad
Man'.
It
will
happen."
The
actor
added,
"No
one
wants
to
watch
a
boring
documentary.
People
want
to
see
a
story
with
hero
and
heroine
and
the
songs
in
an
interesting
way.
Commercial
cinema
can
make
a
huge
difference."
Akshay
said
all
district
collectors
in
the
country
are
planning
to
arrange
screening
of
'Pad
Man' across
India.
"It's
going
on
for
'Toilet:
Ek
Prem
Katha',
the
same
will
happen
with
'Pad
Man',"
he
added.
Another
winner,
Geetanjali
Marndi,
recounted
her
experience
of
getting
her
first
period
during
which
her
face
was
covered
with
a
veil
so
that
her
"impure"
vision
would
not
harm
men
and
boys
of
the
village.
To
this
the
actor
said,
"They
have
the
veil
on
their
eyes
and
mindsets
that
needs
lifting.
I
hope
the
taboo
breaks
forever
one
day
and
that
India
is
free
from
it".