Amit Virmani's Menstrual Man is an exemplary documentary that explores the hard work and extraordinary vision of A. Muruganantham. A business man and inventor, Muruganantham's story is as empowering as it is unique. He is responsible for creating what he calls a "low cost sanitary pads movement" all over India. Initially shocked that his wife wasn't using sanitary pads during menstruation, Muruganantham soon discovered that in rural areas all over India women were risking severe infections due to social taboos and conservations about wearing pads. Menstrual Man reveals a shocking fact that that 70% of all reproductive diseases in India is caused by poor menstrual hygiene. This lack of knowledge in rural areas is simply because most women are too embarrassed to discuss proper ways of keeping sanitary during their cycles.
Muruganantham decided to test and produce effective sanitary napkins for women unable to receive them from stores. Once his product was created, he took his inventiveness a step further by creating simple machines to manufacture the product. Muruganantham also made the business decision to ship his products to rural areas all over the country and also strictly employ women to handle the creation, distribute, and advertising by raising awareness for the pads in their designated areas. Muruganantham's story is simply riveting. With a docile personality and natural humor, Muruganantham explains how he, an uneducated man who dropped out of school in the 9th grade, went on to become an effective businessman whose dreams of empowering his country through knowledge is becoming a reality.
Virmani captures Muruganantham's story with magnificent dexterity. Complete with stock footage, moving graphs, sweeping facts, and an ever changing aesthetic, Menstrual Man is one of the most compelling documentaries I've ever had the pleasure to watch. Virmani not only focuses on Muruganantham and his humane work ethic, but also how Muruganantham's business has empowered the women who work for him. Menstrual Man's narrative and Virmani's impressive way of telling its story makes for a documentary that's both highly entertaining and extremely enlightening on the cultural issues of rural villages. Muruganantham is a truly inspiring person, and Virmani's film is an exemplary must see Hot Doc.