India is ashamed of sexuality and physicality: Radhika Apte

Indian actress Radhika Apte, who has frequently been under the scanner for her "bold" approach in her movies, says anything remotely connected with the human body can turn out to be a difficulty in India. The country which is 'very uncomfortable of sexuality and physicality.’ Sex and sensuality are not the only veiled subjects of conversation in the country. Menstruation also attains a spot on the list, and Radhika is happy that the topic is being managed in a 'big way' in her upcoming Bollywood movie 'Pad Man' -- which tells a true story of a man's quest to make affordable sanitary napkins. Starting with the poster in the aspect of a sanitary napkin, Radhika feels the movie will help overcome the hesitation which circles a natural process that a woman goes through every month. 'I think our nation is very ashamed of sexuality, physicality, or human body. Anything to do with human body or sexuality is a dilemma here,' Radhika told IANS over the phone from Mumbai. Notwithstanding the critical recognition coming her way aplenty, Radhika has often been in news for being 'bold' in her movies - be it an intimate display with co-star Adil Hussain in the movie 'Parched' being drooled online, or a clip of a semi-naked Radhika from an Anurag Kashyap-directed short film moving its way onto the web. The actress has never tried to mop the matter under the carpet and believes in talking about it rather than opting for silence. 'Yes, there is a whole thing of generations of being awkward around things, but if you begin taking a decision like 'Okay, I am not going to believe like that', it will make a difference,' she said. The actress said a common process like menstruation should be talked about. 'It should not appear awkward touching the pad in front of somebody. These are small things with which people have problems,' she said. According to Radhika - who is associated with sanitary napkin Company 'Whisper India' as an influence, that is not only men who have issues speaking about it. 'Women also have issues regarding it. It is all a part of society and upbringing, and it is a great time we changed it,' she said. Filmmaker R. Balki has chosen the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham to narrate through 'Pad Man', with actors Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Radhika are in the lead characters. ‘Pad Man' will narrative how Muruganantham set out on a mission to create affordable sanitary napkins after seeing his wife's distress and poor menstrual sanitation and was shunned by his own family and village. More than the end result of finally getting in making affordable sanitary napkins, it is the road that leads to it which makes for a compelling story. From creating a false uterus to test out his pro type and raising eyebrows in the village for washing bloodied garments in public, to being rejected on the suspicion of having a sexual disease and being controlled by evil spirits - there are multiple facets to Muruganantham's story. Ask Radhika about how his story is becoming a Bollywood makeover, and she says she is 'absolutely not' allowed to speak about it, but things are heading in the correct direction. 'All I can tell is that as you know it is about a pad-man and has a sanitary napkin on the poster. So there is a lot of extent for imagination. 'I am very happy that anything like this is being handled at such a big stage in Bollywood,' said Radhika, who addresses from Pune and living in London with her hubby Benedict Taylor. Radhika entered the industry with a small part in the 2005 release 'Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!', and is known for movies like 'Shor in the City', 'Phobia', 'Badlapur', 'Kabali', 'Manjhi - The Mountain Man' and the short film 'Ahalya'.