Thappad is a movie about Amrita (played by Tapsee Pannu) who fights her husband Vikram (played by Pavail Gulati) for treating her like a doormat. It revolves around the humiliating slap that Amrita receives from Vikram and through the story, the film addresses the normalisation of domestic violence in Indian society.
Vikram and Amrita are a happily married couple in Delhi. He is the breadwinner of the family while she chooses to be a homemaker. Amrita supports Vikram to the hilt, doing all the housework and taking care of her ageing mother in law (played by Tanvi Azmi). Amrita is easily Vikram’s bedrock of support without whom he could not have realised his dreams. But things turn sour when Vikram slaps Amrita at a party that the couple hosts to celebrate his promotion to London, a celebration that loses its sheen when Vikram is told he is the number two, not the number one, in the London office.
Thappad takes on the issue of domestic violence head-on and exposes the double standards of Indian society over the issue. When a shocked Amrita seeks justice, her mother-in-law is shown worrying about Vikram’s health instead. In another scene, a frustrated Vikram tells Amrita that he has taken enough from his boss and it is time he puts his foot down. The irony of the situation dawns on us because she has been treated like a doormat and hence should enjoy the luxury of complaining, just like Vikram.
Pavail Gulati plays the smug and mechanical Vikram with elan. He selfishly believes that he is the only one suffering while others have it easy. He has not a shade of concern for Amrita, constantly wallowing in self-pity and expecting the women around him to sympathise. He succeeds in making you want to hate the spoilt brat that is Vikram.
As mentioned earlier, Thappad is a commentary on the normalisation of domestic violence in Indian society. For instance, when a shocked Amrita seeks comfort in her parents’ company, her mother (played by Ratna Pathak Shah) advises her to not make a mountain out of a molehill and sort things out instead. Men, after all, have their share of frustrations and need to be understood in this light. But what about Amrita’s feelings? Doesn’t she have a right to be treated with dignity? The film also rightly blames Indian mothers for cloistering their daughters. Again, Thappad highlights how mothers teach their daughters to treat their parents as parayas, or strangers. They are told that they really belong to their in-laws. The lack of choice for girls in conservative India comes through forcefully.
Amrita’s father Jayant (played by Kumud Mishra) is her source of support in a quiet and unassuming way.
Thappad is a commentary on the lives of the other women too, such as Amrita’s lawyer Nethra Jaisingh (played by Maya Sarao) who initially urges her client to patch up with her husband but ultimately realises that her own partner has been patronising and denying her the credit she deserves. She eventually walks out of her marriage.
Amrita’s maidservant Sunita is also shown caught between tolerating her abusive husband (according to society’s norms) and desiring freedom and dignity.
With Thappad, Tapsee has proved her mettle as an actor. The scope for etching out Amrita’s character was immense and actress has risen to the occasion. Her subtle expressions, when she bids adieu to Vikram’s mother toward the end, are praiseworthy. She blends her happiness over her newfound freedom with the pain that invariably comes from separation. One notices her grow from the innocent housewife Amrita, who has tolerated ambivalence from her husband’s family for far too long, to a more assertive individual aware of her rights.
Dia Mirza deserves applause for playing the widow and single mother Shivani James Fonseca. She is Amrita’s pillar of strength throughout and displays both grace and maturity.
Thappad, while attacking the family system also does not spare the legal system. It shows how battered women are encouraged to patch up with their abusive husbands because a legal battle can be draining, both financially and emotionally. But it also shows that if a woman has the stomach for a fight, she is unstoppable. Amrita ends up winning both her divorce case and the custody of her unborn child, without compromising on her principles. She is not tempted by Vikram’s offer of a share in his property in return for the child’s custody. Though shocked by Vikram’s nonchalance, she stays simple and straightforward.
Thappad sends out a loud and clear message – wife-beating is unacceptable, even if it is not habitual.
Kanishka Uncensored 