BOMBAY TIMES (November 15, 2017)

From the time it was announced, R Balki’s Pad Man has been in the news. Akshay Kumar plays the protagonist in this film that is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, an Indian entrepreneur who invented the low-cost sanitary pad making machine and revolutionised the movement of cost-effective female hygiene in the country.

Scheduled to release on January 26, the movie, also starring Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte, is a progressive family entertainer. After Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, which also centered around the issue of open defecation, Pad Man once again reinforces Akshay’s commitment to social entertainers — films that entertain as well as address significant social issues. To ensure the film reaches the widest audience, Sony Pictures Entertainment is distributing it worldwide, while also ramping up its India division simultaneously, by tying up with KriArj Entertainment on the film. Upbeat about their new association, Sanford Panitch, President, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, says, “What makes Akshay and Twinkle (Khanna) special is that they have found a way to make a wonderfully affecting and heart-warming movie that can also bring about a social change. Not only are the movies he makes the kind that the big mass audience enjoys, but he is uniquely successful because he has been courageous about his instincts. We are looking forward to working with Akshay and Twinkle on many projects.”

Calling Pad Man a very special film for many reasons, Akshay says, “It is my wife’s first film from her production house, Mrs Funnybones Movies. She introduced me to Arunachalam Muruganantham and his wonderful story that has a universal resonance and Balki has brought it to life beautifully. Sanford and the Sony Pictures team are ideally placed to take it to audiences worldwide and we look forward to sharing this journey with them.”

Excited to partner with Akshay, Twinkle and KriArj Entertainment on this film, Vivek Krishnani, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment, India, says, “Pad Man is bound to make every Indian proud because it celebrates a true indigenous inventor and innovator who brought a massive social change.”

Arjun N Kapoor of KriArj Entertainment, sums it up saying, “This film will be path-breaking in more ways than one and we believe that if there are stories that deserve to be told, this one tops the list. We couldn’t have had better creative forces combined than Balki, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna to portray this extraordinary tale of an ordinary man.”