MUMBAI: Filmmaker R. Balki has recalled the time when Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar had to wear a sanitary pad.

The actor wore a sanitary pad for a scene in Balki's 2018 release, "Pad Man". The director spoke about the incident during an interaction after a screening of his film at Indus Valley International Film Festival.

Was Akshay hesitant? "Not at all, I remember what Akshay told me when he was supposed to wear the pad. We had read that scene so many times, we had acted out the scene, but the actual moment when the pad was being worn, Akshay said to me, 'I didn't know what I am feeling, I can't even explain the feeling. I don't even know whether they're uncomfortable, but it's like a thing you would never do as a man'," said Balki. He claimed that Akshay described it as a "very beautiful feeling". He mentioned it was "something that maybe I will never do again in life but I'm doing it once as an actor".

Recalling the shoot, the director said: "We shot in Maheshwar, which is actually a temple town and the Narmada flows by. We shot that scene where he jumps into the water wearing the sanitary pad. You would be surprised there were so many religious people, the heads of the village, everybody else. They all knew what we were doing and they all supported it."

The film also featured Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte with Akshay, and it was given the National Award for 'Best Film on Other Social Issues' in 2019.

Balki was virtually present for the interaction at the film festival that started on Friday night and goes on till October 10. Films from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be screened at the festival.

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