Shruti Haasan has opened up about her long battle with painful periods and the lack of understanding around menstrual health in the film industry. Speaking on Soha Ali Khan‘s podcast All About Her, the actor revealed that she has “prayed about a thousand times” for men to get periods, so that period holidays could be written into work contracts. She also recalled how a film crew once worked around a co-star’s knee surgery, while she struggled silently with severe cramps on set. The conversation has sparked wide discussion online about period pain, workplace accommodations, and the need for more open dialogue around women’s health.
Shruti Haasan Says She Prayed for Men to Get Periods
During the podcast episode, Shruti Haasan and Soha Ali Khan discussed the misconceptions surrounding hormones and periods. Shruti spoke frankly about how menstrual pain is often dismissed or not taken seriously. She said there is only one solution to this problem.
“I mean, there’s only one solution to this, and I prayed about it a thousand times that men get periods. And then we’d have, like, period holidays written into our contract.”
Soha Ali Khan agreed and added a humorous note, suggesting that men would likely turn it into a competition about how much they bled or the size of their tampons. The exchange highlighted the absurdity of how period pain is treated in professional settings, while also bringing a moment of levity to a serious subject.
PCOS Diagnosis and Severe Period Pain Since Age 13
Shruti Haasan revealed that she has been dealing with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and experiences extremely painful periods. She recalled getting her first period at the age of 13 and the cramps starting almost immediately.
“I got my first period at the age of 13. And my mum was really sweet about it… I could see her waiting with bated breath, and then the cramps kicked in almost immediately within two hours. She was like, ‘I am so sorry. You got it from me.’”
The actor shared that her school years were especially difficult. She would faint, vomit, and be rushed to the hospital for IV fluids and painkillers every month because of her period cramps. She was also anaemic and underweight, making menstruation a “really debilitating” part of her life.
Shruti explained that it was nearly impossible to get through cramps while dancing or performing action stunts on movie sets.
“I was going to the van, puking, taking really strong painkillers, the ones that would make your brain foggy. It was just horrible.”
The Knee Surgery Comparison That Changed Everything
One of the most striking parts of the conversation was when Shruti Haasan described how a co-star’s knee surgery was handled on set. She explained that when a co-star mentioned having knee surgery, the crew immediately understood and worked around the actor’s physical limitation.
“I noticed, one of my co-stars was like, you know, I’ve had that knee surgery. And they were like, oh okay, so let’s work around this. And I was like, I have my period.”
She pointed out the stark difference in how physical pain is treated depending on whether it is visible or understood. A knee surgery is something people can comprehend and accommodate. Period pain, on the other hand, is often invisible and dismissed. This comparison became the turning point in how she approached conversations about her own health on set.
Early Career Struggles and Speaking Up on Set
At the beginning of her career, Shruti Haasan avoided talking about her periods on set. She assumed that people would not want to discuss the subject. Directors would sometimes wonder why she looked different on certain days or why her energy was not the same.
The first time she told a director about her periods, something unexpected happened. The director, who has a daughter, said his daughter also had very bad cramps.
“It just changed the colour,” Shruti recalled.
This moment made her realize that speaking up could lead to understanding and accommodation. She began to see that conversations around physical health could help people work together better. She started telling directors about her condition, not as an excuse, but as a way to make the work environment more collaborative.
Finding Relief Through Treatment in 2020
Shruti Haasan shared that she struggled with severe period pain for years without finding a solution that worked. In 2020, her gynaecologist Dr Dhrupti Dedhia suggested a different oral contraceptive pill that reduced her pain by about 60 percent.
She had tried birth control pills before, but they either made her feel bloated or “really emotional.” The new non-hormonal option helped her manage the pain better, though it came with its own side effects, including delayed periods and a risk of ovarian cysts. Despite these challenges, the improvement in her daily life was significant.
Shruti also recalled a particularly frightening moment during the pandemic. After moving to Hyderabad from Mumbai and living alone without any birth control pills, she almost passed out on the stairs because of the pain. She was scared that she might hurt herself due to the cramps.
The Broader Conversation About Period Pain at Work
Shruti Haasan‘s comments have added to a growing conversation about menstrual health in workplaces, especially in the film industry where physical demands are high. Her wish for period holidays to be written into contracts reflects a broader need for workplace policies that acknowledge the reality of menstrual pain.
Soha Ali Khan‘s podcast All About Her has become a platform for these kinds of honest discussions. The show launched on August 22, 2025, on YouTube and focuses on women’s wellness, featuring celebrities and experts discussing topics that are often avoided in public conversations.
The actor’s openness about her PCOS diagnosis and the way it has affected her career and personal life has resonated with many people who face similar challenges. Her story highlights the importance of understanding, accommodation, and open communication when it comes to health issues that primarily affect women.
You May Also Like:
Upcoming Projects for Shruti Haasan
On the work front, Shruti Haasan was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s Coolie in 2025. The Rajinikanth-led ensemble film grossed ₹518 crore worldwide.
She has several projects lined up. The Tamil action thriller Train, directed by Mysskin and starring Vijay Sethupathi, is set for a theatrical release in August 2026. She will also appear in Pavan Sadineni‘s Aakasamlo Oka Tara alongside Dulquer Salmaan, which is scheduled for a worldwide release on November 20, 2026, in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam.
Shruti has also lent her voice to a song in SS Rajamouli‘s upcoming film Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is set for a theatrical release on April 27, 2027.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for the latest updates on your favourite stars and the stories that matter.
Leave a Reply