Right now, the trailer of Thappad is trending at No 2 on YouTube and I am excited to see what Anubhav Sinha (Mulk and Article 15 fame) brings us next. Thappad stars Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati, Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvi Azmi, Dia Mirza, Ram Kapoor, Kumud Mishra. Not only is this a powerful lineup of excellent actors, but the film also promises to delve into yet another complex and relevant social issue – that of gender inequality.
Just one slap then? Amrita is filing for divorce on a very flimsy reason, people tell her. She hears a lot of homilies from family and friends who think she is ‘overreacting’ and must try to make her marriage work.
The trailer starts out mentioning a notice for ‘restitution of conjugal rights’ – a colonial relic of a law that permits courts to intervene and order a spouse to return to the marital home. For the woman, the slap was the tipping point – the culmination of all that was wrong with the relationship.
It may be ‘just’ a thappad, but it is the symptom of a lack of respect; of an unequal relationship.
Remember Kabir Singh and the deeply problematic misogyny of the film – which alas a great percentage of viewers simply did not seem to get? This film hopefully sets out to clarify that violence in a relationship is just not OK.
It is not inconceivable that Anubhav Sinha set out to make this movie precisely to counter the narrative that it is OK for passion to turn violent. Unfortunately it is probably also likely that a sensitive portrayal like Thappad may not do as well at the box office.
This is another relevant topic, with many parents being of the firm view that physical punishment is not only OK, but a necessary part of disciplining a child.
There were in particular, jokes made on the Chief Minister of Delhi… because when it comes to being slapped in public, Arvind Kejriwal has firsthand experience.
While Kabir Singh justifies violence, Thappad tells us that violence is never justified.
This time about mosquitoes.
Has had its own share of memes.
The star cast is something else viewers can look forward to. Apart from Tapsee Pannu in the lead, we have experienced actors such as Neena Gupta, Tanvi Azmi and Kumud Mishra who are always competent; even brilliant.
Though some feel that the Thappad trailer was boring and underwhelming, the theme of the movie seems to resonate with many. Thappad releases on 28th February 2020 and many are looking forward to it.
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