Filmmaker R. Balki says the biggest commercial element in his latest film Pad Man is lead actor Akshay Kumar.
Speaking about the subject of his film, which talks about women’s menstruation and easy access to sanitary pads, the director said: “I was very clear that this is not a film intended for people who know about it. This film is made to reach people who are not aware and who need to be sensitised. This includes both men and women. Therefore, the film has to be made in a certain language.”
He continued: “If you see the emotion, setting and characters of the film, they are not in a slapstick zone but they are still commercial. The biggest commercial element in Pad Man’ is Akshay Kumar and he knew what he is getting into because I make a certain kind of films with a certain language of making it.”
Based on the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, Pad Man, which is currently screening in the UAE, has opened to positive reviews.
Praising Kumar, Balki explained the similarities he saw between him and Muruganantham.
“We all know Akshay Kumar is a huge star and a good actor, but I think he is magnificent actor. Most people make lot of fuss about theories of acting, schools of acting and intellectualised cinema, he doesn’t do anything that’s why he is lot like Muruganatham,” he stated.
Balki added: “Kumar just keeps on doing it and he doesn’t talk about it. When an actor doing a biopic of a person, it is very tempting for an actor to study his body language and to see how he talks or walks but Akshay didn’t look any of that. He just listened to what kind of character and human Murugantham is.”
Pad Man is produced by Twinkle Khanna, KriArj Entertainment.
