Thappad review : A hard hitting Thappad in the society\’s face?

Exactly an year ago, a misogynistic patriarchal love story was wowed in Kabir Singh. This movie I feel, was a \”Thappad\” in the face to the movie and mentality.

Many a times, the homemaker and her contribution is taken for granted. Further, our society teaches a bride-to-be to adjust and sacrifice her wishes, ambitions and aspirations for her husband, kids and her family. This emotional suffering and burden starts building up and a day/incident occurs, when she can no more take it and decides to stand up for self respect and happiness. However, all the while she feels for her husband\’s family. This is one such story. A story of determination and grit while the whole world, including her mother and brother are trying to convince her that just one slap cannot be basis for divorce. It also shows how a house can turn topsy turvy without a homemaker. Her fight reshapes the relationships of many couples around her, reconciling some while terminating some that have no hopes left.

At times the film has been shot with probably a handheld camera with a seemingly raw footage to make it more realistic and appealing to the viewer. The newspaper wala, the tea making, gardening, checking her mother in law\’s sugar levels, husband\’s see off have been depicted repeatedly to show her consistency in what can be a dull and drab routine, without any appreciation whatsoever.

With films like Mulk, Naam Shabana, Baby, Ghazi attack, Soorma, Badla, Mission Mangal in her kitty in the recent past, Taapsee Pannu is on a roll. This is another feather in her cap. The dedication, love, affection for her husband and her in laws before the Public Thappad incident and the feeling of dejection, angst and unworthiness that engrosses her after the incident have been neatly presented on screen by her. She has shown how story and character driven Hindi films combined with her acting skills can do wonders, barely participating in any love story/romantic movies in the process. Pavail Gulati as Taapsee\’s egoistic, self centered and patriarchal mindset husband does well. It was a pleasant surprise to see Dia Mirza after quite some time, as the silent neighbour, who refused to remarry after the untimely death of her husband. Kumud Mishra is back with another supporting role, this time of a supportive father having a strong emotional connection with his princess daughter. Ratna Pathak Shah is at her emotional best, with her heart wrenching facial expressions in some of the sentimental scenes. All other side kicks have done well too with their limited screen time and scope. However, the makers have assigned peculiar characters and features to each one of them and made them stand out in their own special way. Anubhav Sinha as the writer, director and producer has delivered a hat trick of top notch films with Mulk, Article 15 and Thappad.

Hopefully, this film will instill some rethinking in people\’s minds who hailed the physical violence, the ownership-to-any-extent behaviour, drug abuse in Kabir Singh. And hope that this film is not seen as ultra feministic. Instead, it should change our attitude towards the female members of the family.