MUMBAI: In a country that celebrates the red sindoor as a symbol of marriage and the red chunari as a sign of devotion, actress and public speaker Kubbra Sait’s fiery monologue on menstruation lands like a much-needed slap of truth. On the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day, Sait’s words dare to ask the uncomfortable question — why does the sight, sound, or sentence around periods still make society squirm?
Kubbra’s statement, layered with wit, sarcasm, and sharp social commentary, breaks down the paradoxes surrounding menstruation in India. “As a society, we don’t have problems with words like Khoon Bhari Maang or songs like Laal Meri, but we do have problems with sentences like ‘I have my periods’ or ‘Yes, I am leaking’,” she says, turning the spotlight on the hypocrisy and cultural awkwardness that still surrounds the most natural biological process.
She paints a vivid picture — not sanitized, not poetic, but real. “Sometimes it’s like a trickle, sometimes it’s like a tsunami.” With this, Sait strips away the euphemisms, demanding a space where menstruating individuals are not forced into silence, shame, or shadows.
She doesn’t stop at physical symptoms — “It’s my legs that swell, my tummy that cramps, my mood that swings like Ranveer Singh” — reinforcing the emotional and mental toll of menstruation that still remains largely invisible to those who don't experience it. In doing so, she appoints the true hero of the moment: the period itself.
“In Hindi, it’s called Masik Dharma, but I feel it’s Masik Dharna,” she adds. A clever play on words, hinting at the ways menstruation becomes a protest — not by the body, but by those around it. From temple bans to kitchen taboos, the monthly cycle is less a matter of health and more a matter of hush.
Sait’s poignant nod to freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose’s iconic quote — “Give me blood, and I will give you freedom” — reframes the conversation entirely. “I swear I have been giving my period blood since the age of 12,” she declares, “but still, I have not received freedom.”
In her statement, Kubbra also stands in solidarity with Twinkle Khanna, who faced backlash for an Instagram post that tackled period shame head-on — a post that was taken down not once, but twice. Her message is clear: why do we need a newspaper to cover a sanitary pad when it’s a part of everyday life?
The underlying truth? Menstruation is still cloaked in shame and guilt. It’s not just a physical cycle; it’s a cultural chokehold.
On Menstrual Hygiene Day, Kubbra Sait reminds us that real hygiene starts with mental hygiene — with clearing the societal stains of stigma, taboo, and secrecy. Her message is a wake-up call to normalize conversation, dignity, and equality around periods. Not with pink ribbons or whisper-tones, but with bold, unfiltered truth.
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