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Pad Man

Finally got around to watching Pad Man - it is an amazing story of a man who refused give up a cause he cared for, set against the backdrop of rural India. The protagonist is the kind of desi man that the sisters hope and dream would come into their lives one day. He actually understands what being a man is really about - the very antithesis of toxic masculinity. It does not diminish him in any way to help and empower women - even when met with insult and ridicule for his efforts. Ironically, the very women he wishes to help are not always willing or able to support him.

 He transcends the constrains of the environment he was raised in and is able to bring others along through his undying dedication to his mission. We see how one man's love for his wife meets his creative genius leading him on a path to help millions of women. While the social innovation part of the story is extremely inspiring, this movie is no less about how to be a real man and a husband in the ideal of a sacramental union that the Hindu marriage is supposed to be but is very often not.

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