Arunachalam Muruganantham: “I Cried With happiness When I Saw Akshay Kumar Playing Me.”

The actual PadMan Arunachalam Muruganantham watched R  Balki’s  bio-pic PadMan on Wednesday.

And Arunachalam Muruganantham just can’t get over the experience. “It was like my whole life, all its struggles and strife all the grief and joy,  flashing in  front of me. I couldn’t have hoped for  a better film on my life and struggle than this.”

So is he  fully satisfied? How  much of his real story does PadMan capture?  “I’d say the film captures 80 percent of my real story. It couldn’t be a 100 percent my story. Then it would’ve been a documentary  on me. Cinema  must define and refine reality.I feel the  film captures the essence and  the true meaning of my struggle to give women  dignity and validation not only during their  time of  the month but all through the year. Akshay Kumar has played my character with such warmth humour and finesse. I cried watching him and the  film.”

Is Arunachalam Muruganantham  a movie buff? “Not at all. I don’t watch films . I  don’t have time for it. The last film I saw was Sholay with my father in 1975.And now I’ve seen my own story in PadMan. My father is not here any more with me. But I am sure he’d been very proud to see his son’s  life portrayed so beautifully on screen.”

Arunachalam Muruganantham’s wife who inspired his struggle to  manufacture economical sanitary pads is yet to see the  film.

“My wife and daughter will watch the  film in a couple of  days with me. I can’t wait to see my wife’s reaction. The  entire story of my life and the recognition  it has brought me is because of her,” says  the real-life PadMan who feels there should be more films on unsung heroes.

“But then how many Balkis are there to tell such stories?” wonders ArunachalamMuruganantham.