I watched the movie Thappad today. And oh my god, what a brilliant film!
For those of you who might not know about it, it shows the story of a woman who gets slapped by her husband, and as a result files for divorce.
The movie itself is really well made - from the acting, to the dialogues, to every scene. But what I really love is the subject itself. In a country where a large number of women are killed for dowry, raped every night by their husbands, and beaten ferociously at the slightest misstep, a slap seems like...nothing.
And that's exactly what all the characters surrounding the protagonist try to convince her of: that its not such a big deal, that aisa toh hota rehta hai, don't make a big deal out of it, etc. And the response from the woman throughout the film is simple: it's not okay. And that's that. The man could be the most loving, caring, doting, 'husband of the year' material, but hitting is just not okay. Even if it's a 'just a slap'.
As I was discussing the movie with a friend, I realized that the film left me feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness:
It's a powerful idea. I just wish it weren't a revolutionary one.
For those of you who might not know about it, it shows the story of a woman who gets slapped by her husband, and as a result files for divorce.
The movie itself is really well made - from the acting, to the dialogues, to every scene. But what I really love is the subject itself. In a country where a large number of women are killed for dowry, raped every night by their husbands, and beaten ferociously at the slightest misstep, a slap seems like...nothing.
And that's exactly what all the characters surrounding the protagonist try to convince her of: that its not such a big deal, that aisa toh hota rehta hai, don't make a big deal out of it, etc. And the response from the woman throughout the film is simple: it's not okay. And that's that. The man could be the most loving, caring, doting, 'husband of the year' material, but hitting is just not okay. Even if it's a 'just a slap'.
As I was discussing the movie with a friend, I realized that the film left me feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness:
- Happy, that someone made a movie on this topic
- Sad, that the idea of a slap 'not being acceptable' needs so much convincing
- Happy, that maybe, at least a few people out there might walk away questioning their own existing ideas
- Sad, that the majority will probably walk away muttering, 'But it was just one slap!'
It's a powerful idea. I just wish it weren't a revolutionary one.
