Thappad Review: A restrained, rousing drama

ThappadUA DramaDirector Anubhav SinhaCastTaapsee Pannu Ram KapoorRatingIn a recent interview Anubhav Sinha was brave enough to admit he made films in the past for commercial prospects Every filmmaker does that But ever since he made Mulk in 2018 there was a muchneeded and muchsurprising change in his style of narrating stories And with Article 15 it was clear he now wanted to gaze more at his characters than his canvasAnd with Thappad he continues with his newly found voice as a filmmaker Every film tells us something about the maker that has helmed it but its hard to tell that the director who made these aforementioned films also made Cash Dus and Ra One once upon a time Its hard to tell which other filmmaker went through such a major metamorphosisCheck out the trailer of ThappadComing back to his latest piece of work the trailer has pretty much given away what the tale is about Its the story of a woman who has been publicly slapped by her husband and she wont forget or forgive She says she wants to feel happy when she says shes happy For others its just a slap for her it isnt But for the first 30 minutes we see her marital life and its mirth and monotony This woman is Amrita played by the always reliable Taapsee PannuSinha stages multiple montages of her daily routine she makes tea for her husband Vikram Pavail Gulati checks her motherinlaws Tanvi Azmi bloodpressure and teaches dance to Dia Mirzas daughter She wanted to have a life of her own but didnt In fact all the female characters in this film curbed their freedom and suppressed their dreams for their domesticity On the surface their lives seem perfect deep beneath they all are throbbingThappad not only highlights the muchdeserving spiritedness of womenhood but also takes a sharp eye on fragile male egos Vikram is unable to come to terms with his shattered dreams he conveniently forgets to apologize for a slap which is just a slap for everyone around him and his wife The only one who stands by Amrita is her father Kumud Mishra who once again injects warmth into an immensely endearing and affectionate characterBut he isnt perfect either His wife the lovely Ratna Pathak Shah wanted to be a singer but made a heartbreaking sacrifice to build a family She says she adjusted her daughter has to adjust as well Such is the plight of women in this film that even Amritas lawyer played by Maya Sarao dismisses her plea as farfetched Mayas performance is one of the most gripping aspects of this drama all her achievements are reduced to nothing but privilege by her chauvinistic husband Manav Kaul Its agonizing but also a brutal truth when a womans triumph is hard to digest for a mans selfconceitDespite such scathing scenarios Sinha never allows the people in this film to have melodramatic meltdowns Their silences and gazes are enough to make us understand they are broken and bruised In one of the films best scenes Pannu asks Tanvi Azmi to take care of herself and says shell keep visiting her but also criticises her for not standing by her when she needed someone the most She says she can never forgive her for what they didBut unlike other Bollywood movies with such pompous characters Thappad gives room for repentance to this man Vikram finally admits he messed up and will try everything to win the lady he hurt back The scene comes after the film has pretty much conveyed everything it wanted to when all the conflicts have been resolved and when we know the end may not be happy but rightFor some this drama may be restrained for some snailpaced but it was important to have a film that raises a voice against a mans unethical freedom it was important to have a film that has the audacity to project a woman who refuses to accept or adjust to any sort of physical abuse And it was also important to make a film where the slap may have been for the woman but it indirectly hints towards all those who think misogyny in movies is fine No we need better heroesCatch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates