#AtoZ :Inspiring Indian Women: Aditi Gupta : Menstrupedia: The wikipedia on growing up

Aditi Gupta has decided to educate people about a subject that is often considered taboo and embarrassing

Aditi Gupta

Why Aditi Gupta is an inspiration?

For her blog and initiative :   https://www.menstrupedia.com/

 

A woman’s menstrual cycle is so enshrouded in taboo in India that even some girls who have been brought up in open-minded, modern, educated households in our country are forced to follow or obey at least a couple of nonsensical, superstitious beliefs.

Luckily, Aditi Gupta, the founder of Menstrupedia has decided to “touch the pickle” and educate people about a subject that is often considered taboo and embarrassing, through her website Menstrupedia. It is very inspiring to see a girl from a conservative, middle-class family hailing from Garhwa, a small town in Jharkhand, educate the society on menstrual health and hygiene.

The blog is a completely collaborative space where people from all walks of life write and share their stories and experiences on menstruation and issues related to it. Menstrupedia depicts each and every topic with a relevant illustration.

Aditi was 11 when her mother explained to her about a girl’s menstrual cycle. This was during a painful period of her life, as she reveals, “At the age of 11, I met with a serious accident and was totally bed ridden for months. My mother would fix a narrow pipe to my urinary tract to help me urinate. One day while fixing the pipe my mother saw some traces of blood in my vagina, which was actually due to a minor cut, received earlier while fixing the pipe. She thought I had started my periods and she told me about periods for the first time.”

A year later, when she actually got hers, she was made aware of the thousands dos and don’ts a girl is saddled with during this time. “I wasn’t allowed to sit on others’ beds. I wasn’t allowed to touch the place of worship. I had to wash and dry my clothes separately. I wasn’t allowed to eat or touch pickle... In short, I was treated as impure or polluted.”

If these rules were bad, the mindset of not buying sanitary napkins was worse. Aditi’s family thought nothing could be worse than being seen buying pads in a store! Fortunately this changed when she was sent to boarding school.

When she enrolled in a post graduation course at NID, two great things happened. First, she met her future husband Tuhin and second, with his support, the idea to start Menstrupedia was born. Normally most men find the subject gross, but Tuhin was different. After seeing and learning about the various inconveniences his girlfriend went through, he started educating himself.

“Tuhin told me many things that I myself did not know about periods. It occurred to us that if there are so many essentials about menstruation that are unknown to me even after having periods for the past several years, in spite of being educated, there must be millions ignorant about menstrual management.”

She thus took up a year-long project on menstrual awareness. This research project laid the grounds for Menstrupedia. “We get one lakh visitors every month on the website. More than 1,000 girls have been educated using Menstrupedia comics,” says a proud Aditi.

How did her family react to her decision to dedicate her life to educating people about menstruation? “My family is super supportive of our work and it’s my parents who have made me capable of taking up such endeavors.”

Her family and friends may have been supportive, but what about others? Which are proving to be the toughest myths to break? “We have signboards outside temples denying the entry to menstruating women. The myths are very deep rooted. It’s discrimination at the very core. Fighting the social stigma around the subject is the toughest.”

Fortunately, there are many joining her cause as the website is funded mainly through crowd funding. The couple has also partnered with Whisper, a sanitary napkin brand. Her cause takes up most of her time, so does she have any other interests? “Apart from obsessively working on Menstrupedia, I also do craft work. I make crafts out of household waste and put up the tutorials online. I love swimming too.”

References:

http://www.womensweb.in/articles/aditi-gupta-menstrupedia/

https://yourstory.com/2014/11/aditi-gupta-menstrupedia/

https://www.facebook.com/Menstrupedia/

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150103/commentary-sunday-chronicle/article/lady-doth-protest-period

http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/menstrupedia-the-wikipedia-on-growing-up/

Stage Creations "HONEYMOON COUPLES" Drama Review

WORLD THEATER DAY WEEK @ BHARATIYA VIDHYA BHAVAN, CHENNAI KENDRA March 2017

Tamizh Nadu, Eyal, Issai, Nadaka Mandram in Association with Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan presented Stage Creations stage play, "HONEYMOON COUPLE", Story and Dialogue by Crazy Mohan and Acted by Shri Sundaresa Kathadi Ramamurthy.

 What an excellent, amazing and awesome hilarious, comical stage play and an awesome performance by every artist. An outstanding team work and an amazing cast and crew. I appreciate each one of them.

World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theater Institute (ITI). It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theater community. Various national and international theater events are organized to mark this occasion. 

From 27th Mar for 6 days upto 31st Mar 2017, Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram & Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan jointly celebrate the 'World Theater Day' at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Auditorium Mylapore @ 6.30 pm every day. Stage Creations under the guidance of their mentor Sri Kathadi Sir, enacted their ever green vintage laugh riot 'Honey Moon Couple' by Crazy Mohan on 28th Mar 2017. 

‘Honeymoon Couple’ have been staged 350 times.

Kathadi Ramamurthy Sir  has been awarded Kalaimamani, and is a recipient of several titles, including Nataka Kala Sironmani, Nadiga Choodamani, Best TV Serial Comedian and Nataka Rathnam.  Despite the achievements, accolades and awards, he remains humble. He says, “We did not do plays for monetary benefits. Applause meant everything. We breathed theater. All our evening and late night discussions centered on the next play and trying to make it entertaining for the audience.”

His passion for acting hasn’t waned since he made his formal debut in 1954.He keeps himself busy and is often seen shuttling between play rehearsals and shooting for TV serials. He says pursuing his passion at this age gives him a lot of positive energy. Even after his recent health issues, the spirit of the man is never ending.   He is a born artist

The Story Plot

This popular stage play of the 70s directed by Kathadi Ramamurthy and written by Crazy Mohan has been re-created to delight avid theater lovers. Kathadi plays Ramani a truant employee who, averse to attending office, spends most of his time at home. He tries every trick at his disposal to keep himself away from work and be dismissed from service. When he finally succeeds in his mission, he decides to go on a honeymoon to Ooty. His humorous adventures in the hill station form the rest of the story.

 

Ramani is a character that we see in every normal man around.  Tired of work, aversion to the loan lenders bugging him and have a different thoughts on enjoyment altogether as he missed the honeymoon soon after the marriage.   He is a typical husband who is always nagging his wife.   Here Ramani's wife  did an amazing job understanding her husband, trying to politely refuse his idea of honey moon at the age when his children are in college and also how she manages the money lender - grocery shop owner to whom Ramani owes Rs 400.   Ramani with a salary of Rs 5000 manages the house, his children education and still tries to dream about his honeymoon to Ooty which he missed soon after marriage.   His father-in-law's accompanying to Vaideeswaran koil to do his religious commitments and later on his death when they were about to board the train to ooty was also shown in the most hilarious ways.   Ramamurthy sir did an amazing job as Ramani and his colleague Raghothaman in office, manager acted very aptly.   His son Dileep is a character of innocence and affections and well done by the artist.   

Parallel, we see a family of a Raja with his son and daughter-in-law who has a family astana doctor and this Raja holds the realms of the olden days and still thinks that he is the king and maintains his estate in Ooty and also has a PA who keeps singing his name every time he gets a chance.  The family doctor keeps trying different medication to to the Raja and finally he advice's him to take an x-ray for his heart problem.  

Raghothaman takes the x-ray of the Raja thinking it is of Ramani and PA Ramani, takes Ramani's x-ray thinking it is of Raja and the confusion begins.  Ramani's records shows that he is having a heart problem and needs to be kept happy and hence his family is advised to take care of him.  On this pretext of keeping him happy, finally his wife gives in to the idea of going to Ooty with him.

Raja's son Vishwanth also after 3 months of marriages, takes his wife and plans to go to Ooty.  He wants to spend time in hotel but on his father's insistence agrees to go and stay in the estate bungalow.   Narayanan who is the estate manager did an amazing job.   Vishwanath is given a ring to show to Narayanan to identify him on his visit to the bungalow.  Unfortunately,  the daughter-in-law lost the ring in the railway station and this ring is found by our hero Ramani.

Ramani after searching of hotels and April being the peak season in Ooty did not find any hotels to stay and ends up in the Raja's bungalow.   On seeing the ring on his hand, Narayanan thinks that Ramani is Raja's guest and gives him all leverages to stay in the bungalow.   Meanwhile Vishwanath and his wife, pay for bungalow rent and stay in a average room.   Vishwanath comes to know of how Narayanan mis-uses the property by sub-letting it to outsiders as Raja visits seldom to the place.  

 

After all the confusion and happiness, meanwhile Ramani wanting to playing around with an Australian Guest Julie  and how his dentures scare Vishwanath's wife forms the hilarious part of the drama.    Finally the Raja and his PA Ramani land up in Ooty and then the reality dawns on the couples.  

As Raja was initially said that his heart problem is cured and he is happy, his health improves and the family is very happy about it as the doctor confirms the same.  Meanwhile Ramani and family is happy that there is no problem with his health.   In the end, Raja being very happy offers our Ramani a job in the estate and asks him to take the estate itself.   Being a truant employee himself,  Ramani ends up sitting down in disappointment and there ends the story of 2 honeymoon couples.

Every actor has given their best.  The two lady artists were amazing.  Kathadi sir pulled the show on his shoulders literally to the happiness of the overwhelming crowd in the auditorium.  Make up of the artists was perfect, sound and music section did a neat job, the stage sets were matching to the flow of the drama and lighting was perfect.  The best part was the dialogues delivery into the mikes without each artist pushing on to the other one...they covered the entire stage with perfection.   It was not too loud or low voice but was at the perfect pitch entertaining the audience.

The laugh riot and the applause's received must have thrilled each one acted in this play and I am sure this play will go on for many more years to come.   

Thanks to my friend Lavanya Venugopal whose posts made me go for this drama and enjoy the show and she did an amazing job as Raja's daughter in law.

I will give this show 4.5/5 for being a truly entertaining drama and making the audience enjoy to the core.