Malayalam actor and writer Lenaa Kumar has released her latest book, Women-O-Pause: A Mid-Life Guide for Women and Their Men. She explains that the project stems from a wish to offer something meaningful to fans who have supported her acting career for nearly three decades. While her performances have entertained audiences as part of her professional role, the book represents a personal gift born from the affection she has received. Malayalis she meets worldwide often welcome her into their homes with meals, and she hopes the volume allows her to share helpful insights more widely.
Published by Penguin Random House in English, with a Malayalam translation from DC Books, the guide addresses menopause and perimenopause. Kumar reframes the topic as a positive transition rather than an ending. At age 43 she experienced perimenopause symptoms and initially believed her familiar life had ended. After extensive study she now views the phase, at 45 and a half, as a period of physical and emotional adjustment comparable to moving house: chaotic at first, yet ultimately settled. Functional medicine proved especially useful in managing symptoms.
Writing began during this time, and the book appeared in June. Her husband, Air Commodore Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, proposed the working title “womenopause,” later refined by her editor into its published form to suggest a deliberate pause. The volume is dedicated to her mother, whose own menopausal experience had long puzzled Kumar as a teenager and prompted years of psychological inquiry.
Kumar drew on podcasts and research by experts such as Dr. Marie Claire Haver. Despite prior knowledge of hormonal changes, the personal onset still brought unexpected brain fog, irritability, and confusion. Functional medicine, focusing on individual root causes through nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle adjustments, provided major relief. Chapters by specialists supplement her account.
Both language editions launched simultaneously to reach Malayalam readers who might not access English resources online. Kumar has previously shared personal material in her first book and remains undeterred by online criticism, believing that vulnerability may benefit even one reader.
