Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Nanda says talking about periods with him ‘is a sign of progress’

Actor Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter, Navya Naveli Nanda, appeared alongside him at an NDTV telethon where she spoke about sexual and reproductive health. Navya said that there’s still a long way to go before women in the country are given proper access to health and sanitation, but the fact that she’s able to discuss these subjects with her grandfather is a sign of progress.
She said that the first step is to stop treating menstrual health, and mental health, like taboo topics. And to do this, people must be willing to discuss them with their friends, family, and peers.

She said, “Menstruation has been a tabboo for a long time, but there has been progress. I’m sitting on stage today with my grandfather and talking about periods, that itself is a sign of progress.” Navya said that having an open conversation about these topics shouldn’t be restricted to women and young girls. “It’s great that not just the women, but also the men have joined in this mission of making menstruation a destigmatised conversation. More importantly, at home, because change always begins at home. Women should feel comfortable about their own bodies at home before going out in society and talking about that.”
She said that she was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where she was encouraged to talk about what she wanted.
Navya is one of the co-founders in the organisations Aara Health, described as ‘a secure, non-judgmental, and trustworthy virtual healthcare platform for women’ and Project Naveli, through which she will ‘fight’ gender inequality in the areas of education, financial independence, mental and physical health, and domestic violence.
Navya also recently launched her own podcast — What the Hell Navya — on which she has wide-ranging discussions with her mother, Shweta Bachchan, and her grandmother, Jaya Bachchan.