By now, we are all aware that Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad has its turning point in a despicable act of impulse. A young man slaps his wife. As it turns out, the film is not solely about the slap that compels a woman to walk away from her marriage. Filled with an array of characters going through disparate experiences, Thappad made me ask a couple of pertinent questions. How easily will a married woman let go of her comfort zone? What will she be required to give up to claim a sense of justice?
The film opens with Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) living a seemingly content life with her husband Vikram (Pavail Gulati). She balances the warmth of a mother with the tolerant wit of a girlfriend. She’s living a life many would envy. Vikram, on the other hand, is a man on a mission. His goal is to move to London for a high-profile corporate job. He’s sharp, driven, and mildly self-important—just enough to not make you want to hate him. The arrangement is one that even Amrita has come to accept, shaped by societal conditioning that encourages women to live for others before thinking about themselves.
The turning point arrives during a glitzy house party: the slap. Everyone is alarmed, more by the social discomfort of the moment than the unacceptable act itself. And Amrita is expected to move on, as if nothing had happened. Her mother, Sandhya (Ratna Pathak Shah), suggests she not overreact. Her mother-in-law, Sulakshana (Tanvi Azmi), tries to cheer her up by taking her out to dinner. Vikram does not apologise. He explains himself. He talks about his London dream and how one phone call made everything fall apart. He expects Amrita to understand—just like she always has.
For Amrita, it is a reflex to get up early, prepare tea, stand by the balcony, tend to house plants, and listen to music. Her world is measured, delicate, and filled with thoughtful patterns. When it breaks, she begins to question things. It’s striking how calmly the story unfolds—without high-decibel drama. Her quiet disappointment is not just about the slap. It is about a series of smaller betrayals. It is about being denied the freedom to choose, to think, to feel. For a man who writes down his life goals in a diary, Vikram does not seem to value the smallest of Amrita’s choices. She’s careful not to spoil a moment by playing the wrong song. But when her trust is broken, he asks, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
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Amrita’s family, her parents (Ratna Pathak Shah, Kumud Mishra) and her brother Karan (Ankur Rathee), form a far more empathetic unit than her in-laws. The emotional graph drawn here is tender. The writing gives space to every character’s grey zone. No one is villainous, not even Vikram. Yet we are left with no ambiguity about how unfair the situation is.
Not all of Sinha’s characters speak, but their presence resonates. They are there, quietly embodying the ingrained biases of Indian society. Be it the affluent lawyer Netra (Maya Sarao) or Amrita’s spirited housemaid Sunita (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), every woman carries a story shaped by deeply embedded patriarchy. The suffering does not come with a class barrier.
One of the finest scenes in Thappad is a quiet conversation between Amrita and her father. It is warm, full of pauses, and refreshingly honest. Reminiscent of 2019’s Marriage Story, Thappad delivers an unlikely yet welcome triumph—a woman cheering for another woman in a mainstream Hindi film. Netra’s validation of Amrita’s stand, her frustration with her messy marriage, and her redefined sense of self-worth are highlights. So is Dia Mirza as Shivani, the supportive neighbour who makes a silent, powerful choice near the end.
Kapur and Sinha craft Amrita’s inner world with remarkable precision. Even the camera’s movement, alternating between stillness and swift pans, mirrors the character’s emotions. At times, it patiently waits. At others, it captures emotional explosions. The final scene, set in a family court, is brilliant. Every word, every flicker of Amrita’s eyes has an immense impact. Taapsee Pannu, in what is perhaps her finest performance yet, makes us feel every breath, every silence.
If Taapsee Pannu (once again) proves her mettle, Pavail Gulati delivers a chillingly believable turn as the self-serving husband. Kumud Mishra, playing the affectionate and observant father, is a standout. So is Maya Sarao, whose simmering rage finds voice in a delicate, layered character.
Thappad caters to a crowd that has long romanticised the movie dialogue: “Aurat ko hi adjust karna padta hai” (The woman has to compromise). In a rare instance, we get a film that consciously and confidently questions this gendered wisdom. It shows us that the ‘adjustment’ we speak of often has no end.
It is okay for a housemaid to refuse a sudden raise if it comes with unreasonable expectations. It is okay for a woman to leave a marriage after a single act of disrespect. The narrative could just as easily be about a man trying to challenge norms imposed on him by society.
Well, weren’t we talking about Anubhav Sinha and some exemplary filmmaking until now? Let’s stick to that.
Rating: ★★★★ 1/2
Thappad is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
