I have a list of actors, about whom I am totally confident. They have always delivered. I do not think twice about a movie featuring them; Rajkumar Rao. Ayushmann Khuranna, Taapsee Pannu, Tabu, Boman Irani, Akshay Kumar and maybe to some extent Saif Ali Khan. So, Thappad was a must-watch.
They have not disappointed me in recent times. They give you your money worth of entertainment. Few of them are known to choose scripts wisely. Few of these scripts where they bring you face-to-face with the questions buried under many layers deep in relationships, societal obligations & demands and denials.
Thappad, Husband And Wife.
Thappad promised to be one such movie, and it delivered with some remarkable acting by Taapsee Pannu as Amrita. The tipping point in the movie is a slap; the Thapaad ( Slap) her husband unleashes on her in public. This challenges her framework of happy married life, sacrifices and the relationship between husband and wife. It leads to change that affect her societal context of expectation, experiences and equations.
On one side, Tapsee Pannu delivers as she transforms into a woman of self-conviction questioning whose fault it is. On the other hand, Pavail Gulati as Vikram her husband rides the fence as a professional life centric person.
Please watch Thappad. Do not squirm in your seat seeing reflections of a typical Indian male and the support system surrounding the victim of Thappad; the wife.
We are so exposed to images and constraining coordinates of a patriarchal society that we take everything granted, including the arrogance of the male and the acceptance and compromises by the female.
Thappad Needs A Space To Echo And Be Felt.
Thappad support cast delivers to complete the almost 360-degree ecosystem of Amrita. In the absence of them and the reactions shaping the film would have remained incomplete.
In it all Ratna Pathak Shah ( Amrita’s Mother), Kumud Mishra ( Amrita’s Father),
Ankur Rathee ( Amrita’s brother), Dia Mirza ( Amrita’s neighbour), Tanvi Azmi ( Amrita’s Mother-in-law), Geetika Vidya (Housemaid) all of them, hold the film together.
Everything Is Fine Only If…
It is not a perfect film. But it is a good one. I appreciate Thappad seeing the slap episode from a fundamental social framework. However, it suffers from the lame closure.
Suddenly everything is changing. They are all exploding in the newfound realisations. Everyone finds his or her explanations. The movie here leaves the track when, in reality, there was no space for such explanations. They diluted the echo of the slap.
It would have been appreciated if the audience was left to have their own say, imagery and discussion. It is a Thappad that could have been harder.
Expect Differential Reaction From The Audience.
There will be polarised reactions and not necessarily will be confined to males. The women will have their own rake. Unfortunately, I expect that most will think that the character of Amrita went too far and that she should have adjusted, it was just one time. Just one slap. It will not surprise me if most women see this as a rare act like and believe it was too small to lead to such a turmoil. I will side with Writer-director Anubhav Sinha’s some of the audience who say that a single act is enough.
“C’mon, he’s not such a bad guy. People make mistakes. Shit happens.” This is one reaction dialogue to the husband hitting the wife in public. It is going to be noted- referred and spoken in many forums. That is really the difference.
Where you stand on this firmly defines where and how you will see the movie.
One question remains unanswered, and it is beyond the preview of such a film. And most of us can guess the reactions. What if Tappad was delivered inside the closed doors? Or what if the Gender was reversed?
Recommendation.
Go watch the movie for the subject and the acting of almost all the characters.
I must appreciate the writers; screenwriter and the dialogue writer- excellent job done by using the common language in this sharply focussed way. Each of the possible reactions is captured. And by giving Taapsee Pannu, shorter dialogues ( which is what she delivers best) adds to the whole impression.
THIS IS ONE MOVIE I BELIEVE SHOULD BE TAX-FREE ALL OVER.
Starcast: Taapsee Pannu, Dia Mirza, Maya Sarrao, Geetika Vidya, Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvi Azmi, Naila Grewal, Pavail Gulati, Kumud Mishra, Manav Kaul, Ankur Rathee, Sushil Dahiya. Director: Anubhav Sinha.
BLOG/14/2020
