Daily Times

The recent ban on Bollywood Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Padman’ has not only left the public baffled but quite a number of L-town celebrities too. The movie highlights the issue of menstruation, and its release has been banned in cinemas across Pakistan on the basis of highlighting a sensitive “social taboo” topic.

Bollywood celebrities have stood by the movie in solidarity, posing with a sanitary napkin, followed by overwhelming texts in captions all over their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And now, it seems like the Padman challenge has followed its way into Pakistan as well, with Pakistani actress Iffat Omar putting up a picture of herself holding up a sanitary pad!

Here’s what she had to say: “Not because I am promoting Indian Film #Padman, just to tell you all it’s ok to have periods, I am proud of being a woman and it’s ok.. relax #Pad #Padmanchallenge #SonamKapoor”

Following Iffat Omar’s footsteps, owner of The Pink Tree and designer, Mohsin Sayeed has also put up a picture of himself holding a sanitary napkin.

Sayeed mentions: “I pose with a sanitary pad in solidarity with Iffat Omar who has taken a bold step and posted a picture with a pad. We wouldn’t have posted our picture if Pakistani film censor authorities hadn’t banned the Indian film Padman and Pakistanis hadn’t been giving flak to Iffat Omar.”

“More power to Iffat. So proud to have her as my dear friend. Our picture says that it’s patriarchy and misogyny that need to shut up,” he further adds.

Though Armeena Rana Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi have raised their concerns against the censor board banning the movie in Pakistan, names like Iffat Omar and Mohsin Sayeed seem to have set a new benchmark.

Published in Daily Times, February 21^st 2018.