RATING
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati,
Director: Anubhav Sinha
What’s it about:
One tight slap is all it takes for Amrita (Taaspee) to realize all that was unfair in a seemingly perfect relationship. And she isn’t the only one.
Review:
Anubhav Sinha is a director who has had a wide range of filmography. From duds like ‘Cash’ ‘Ra-One’ and ‘Tum Bin 2’ to now socially relevant films like ‘Mulk’, ‘Article 15’ and ‘Thappad’. Needless to say, I like this Sinha better.
In Thappad, he comes down hard on the years of male patriarchy that has been so deep-rooted in our societies that it has become second nature for everyone – for men and women. But the question you must be wondering with is - Does one slap deserve a 2 and a half-hour drama? It does.
Because Sinha through his leading lady Taapsee Pannu and a host of other women tells the story with nuances and variety. Of course, Taapsee takes the lead with a hard-hitting performance that feels convincing and will be relatable for most women. The actress is spot on with her dialogue delivery and expressions that underline the need for such an extreme response to a slap by her husband in full public view.
The film isn’t layered but in your face and that works mostly because of strong writing, dialogues, and performances. Along with Taapsee, a host of other actors make the film a winner. This includes Tanvi Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Kumud Mishra, and Pavail Gulati, who play Taapsee’s husband Vikram. He ensures that you also see the male perspective, however, unpopular it may be.
The film is long but does hold on its own despite some repeated conflicts. A tighter edit would have been a blessing though. Overall, it is an important film and relevant in all times especially now when small beginnings can lead to big changes.
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