Actor Rashmika Mandanna recently addressed the online backlash she faced after comments about men “experiencing periods” sparked widespread social-media debate. During a talk-show appearance, Mandanna had suggested that men should undergo menstruation once to truly understand the pain women endure each month.
In response to trolling and public commentary, she posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“And this no one will talk about.. The fear of going to shows and interviews is this for me.. I mean something, and it’s taken in something else entirely.”
The actor elaborated that her statement stemmed from multiple personal experiences with severe period pain and a desire for greater empathy:
“I’ve had such horrible period pain that I’ve even fainted once because of it. … I feel like anyone can only understand it when they experience it.”
Mandanna’s remarks shine a spotlight on broader topics in the Bollywood ecosystem: the still-persistent stigma around bodily experiences, pressures on female performers, and the often-fraught relationship between celebrity commentary and public reaction. Through her candid statement, she has drawn attention to how personal health, public image and media interpretation intersect in the film industry.
With Mandanna at work on multiple upcoming projects across South Indian and Hindi film industries, her social-media response has garnered both support for her honest narration and critique about her approach. Either way, it has reignited conversation about how actresses address taboo subjects and how those statements resonate in public discourse.
