The Producers

Amit Virmani’s debut, “Cowboys in Paradise”, was one of the most talked-about Asian documentaries in recent years. The controversial film was featured on CNN, BBC and various international media, and has been broadcast in over 110 countries. It has also been incorporated into Women Studies curricula at more than 80 universities around the world. He is a graduate of Southwestern University, Texas, where he was honored with the Feminist Voices Award. He is currently developing the psychological thriller Night, a Mumbai-Singapore co-production. Amit lives in Singapore. “Menstrual Man” is his second film.

Making The Film

I’ve always wanted to explore the issues of rural development and women’s empowerment in India. Yet, I found it impossible to approach the subjects without some apprehension. As an educated, middle class, overseas Indian, I was in effect an outsider. How could I possibly have a sufficient understanding of the issues facing India’s poor? It’s bad enough when Westerners make patronizing “poverty porn” on India, but what if the condescension came from a fellow countryman? Then one day a friend sent me a link to this Fast Co.Exist article on Muruganantham. Talk about an Outsider. You know social entrepreneurship increasingly seems like the pastime of the rich? Affluent-types doing good in order to give something back to society, and so forth? Well Muru never got anything from society, yet here he was, giving something back nonetheless. This guy was on the outside because he was an insider! Oh, then there’s the ‘lil bit about him tackling “a female issue.” This guy took menstrual matters head on, and I was worried about my limited understanding of a subject? I contacted Muruganantham the next day. “I’m only an illiterate man,” he said, as we began our first interview a week later. Yes. An illiterate man who’s made us all a little more humble, and a whole lot more inspired.

Amit Virmani