Taapsee on Thappad: Trailer reflects lived-in experience of most women

A still from Thappad

After initiating a dialogue about the importance of consent in sex with Pink (2016), Taapsee Pannu has taken on another uphill battle with Thappad. The trailer, which released yesterday, broke the Internet as women opened up on their own stories of casual violence in relationships and how it has unfortunately been normalised in our patriarchal society. "Some films, like this one, stay with you long beyond the mere narration. I tend to lean towards stories that have a larger impact," begins the actor.

The drama, which shines a spotlight on domestic violence, makes a strong point when Pannu's character asserts that a stray slap inflicted on one's partner, even if it happens only once, is not acceptable. In a way, the Anubhav Sinha-directed venture is the much-needed antidote to Shahid Kapoor's Kabir Singh (2019) that was called out for its deep-rooted misogyny, but went on to mint money at the box office. In one of its shining moments, Thappad's trailer has a character claiming that a slap is also an expression of love - a dig at the infamous line made by Kabir Singh director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh

"Flawed characters are not problematic, the warped messaging is. Heroes are demi-gods here, so we need to be responsible about our messaging," explains the leading lady, before adding, "That film reflected what their makers were; this one mirrors where we come from. Thappad's trailer resonates [with the female audience] because it reflects lived-in [experience] of most women in this country."

Over the years, Pannu has created her brand of cinema that shows women as real and feisty. Quiz her if damsels in distress are passé, and she says, "I can play a damsel in distress, but I can never portray the woman who is leaning on a man to get her act together."

Taapsee Pannu

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