A slap to misogyny
THAPPAD
Anubhav Sinha Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Kumud Mishra, Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvi Azmi
Direction: Actors:
Apowerful and impactful film, Thappad makes you angry and uncomfortable, and question the everyday misogyny that we willingly ‘adjust to’ in real life.
Amrita’s universe turns upside down when Vikram slaps her at a party to celebrate his promotion. In that moment, she realises it wasn’t ‘just one slap’ but many other silent slaps that she had been ignoring. Will she be able to put her self-esteem over love? Will she forgive Vikram and move on like women are expected to? Will she give her marriage another chance?
Director Anubhav Sinha refuses to normalise issues that are taken for granted, instead he asks over and over that even if it is ‘just one slap’, how can a man get away with it?
You relate to Taapsee’s Amrita – a trained classical dancer who chooses to be a doting homemaker for her ambitious husband, Vikram (Pavail Gulati) and to take care of her ailing grandmother (Tanvi Azmi).
Sinha focuses on Taapsee’s story, but amplifies it with those of multiple women facing similar struggles in different forms. The patriarchal norms that women are conditioned to submit to and everyday misogyny are shown for what they are.
Whether it’s telling women, ‘Shaadi mein yeh sab chalta hai’ or ‘Thoda bardasht karna seekhna chahiye autaron ko’, the dialogues just re-emphasise what we have heard time and again. Taapsee Pannu is spectacular, showing restraint and also a fiery and feisty side. Her silences are more powerful than her dialogues. Debutant Pavail Gulati seamlessly steps into Vikram’s skin. You hate him for his insensitivity. He’d immediately say sorry to his boss but can’t do or even feel the same to his wife. It’s pleasant to see how Gulati holds his ground while Pannu steals the show. Thappad’s strength also lies in its strong supporting cast. Ratna Pathak Shah and Kumud Mishra deliver fine performances as Amrita’s parents.
Dia Mirza’s and Ram Kapoor’s parts seem halfbaked put in there just to join the dots. The most underwhelming performance surprisingly comes from one of the strongest parts, Amrita’s high-profile lawyer, Nethra (Maya Sarao). Something feels superficial about her character.
At 2 hours and 21 minutes, the film may seem a bit long, but keeps you engaged. Sinha shakes your conscience and forces you to have a dialogue with yourself. You’re left with a number of ‘buts and if’. What if Vikram had apologised that night? What if he’d slapped her in private? What if Amrita’s parents didn’t offer her support? What if she was financially dependent on him?
Even if Thappad doesn’t lead to things changing overnight, it certainly has started a dialogue that can make way for change sooner or later.