Thappad Writer Mrunmayee Shares How They Were Constantly Asked If One Slap Was Enough. And Like Her, We Say Yes
I have had my share of relationships and inevitably, my share of relationship troubles too , and call it luck or just a sound screening process, I have never had to be in the kind of a relationship that ever turned violent. And while I can say that for myself, it’s probably not something I can say for the women around me, at least not confidently. And holding a mirror to just that kind of a messed up and hushed reality is Anubhav Sinha’s latest film, Thappad starring Taapsee Pannu in a role that has resonated with women and, if they are woke enough, men everywhere as well.
The movie that hit the theatres the previous weekend is a story about a woman who falls easily into the role of a perfect housewife and daughter in law, is slapped in the face by her husband in front of several house guests, and subsequently files for divorce. A concept and a storyline, that at first was received with reservations because it seemed so..well, trivial, it raised many questions. One of the main ones was ‘Is one slap enough’, a question even the writers were asked constantly.
The writer of the movie Thappad, Mrunmayee Lagoo recently shared how people, from the time of the first drafts till the time of shooting, constantly came back to question whether one slap was enough to cause for such a conflict, and while the answer to this should be a reflex action, we will say it again just as Mrunmayee did, that yes, it is enough.
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Also Read : Thappad Review: Taapsee Pannu’s Film Calls Out The Casual Sexism In Our Relationships And Asks The Men To Step Up
In a detailed interview with The Quint, the writer shared how, “I think it is very important to address the beginning you know. See, if it was about a man who has had a violent temper or who is like this then in that case it’s a very different movie. A lot of women go through this once, twice, thrice many times but each one has a starting point, so everyone will identify with that. And when sir(Anubhav) was saying that one is also not okay is a very strong message for people who’d be taking it for too long.”
And to that, we wholeheartedly agree. The movie, was not just about rustling up enough chaos to show the ugly side of domestic violence behind closed doors and in front of socially strong marriages, but to address a much bigger problem. And that is probably what Mrunmayee meant when she said, “The slap was a metaphor for something bigger”. It was about addressing the sense of entitlement that the men come with, and to blow the mask off the deep-seated misogyny, hidden under the garb of civility.
So yes, we will say it again. One slap was enough. One slap is enough.
