Representation of women in Indian media is gradually changing itself from the way it has been since past hundred years. Previously women’s role had always been submissive to the male protagonist in every films and series. But the second wave feminism that occurred in USA and then rapidly spread across the Western World had compelled the Indian directors of films to reconsider their roles in Indian entertainment world. Even now there are several examples of films where we can see the unnecessary glorification of patriarchy and the disempowered and helpless portrayal of females. But there are some movies which are definitely trying to change the preconceived notion about females in the film industry.

A such film was THAPPAD, by Mr. Anubhav Sinha. Much can be written about this movie because every bit of it needs interpretation. But actually and factually it is not needed because it doesn’t matter how many neutral interpretations are there, most of the people are going to watch it from only two perspectives, either feministic or patriarchal. Very few would be able to rise above this discrimination and watch it from a human perspective. It was visible in the theatre, the gents who were siting around me, feeling a bit uncomfortable and two of them left the theatre after the interval. And many of women were sobbing. The incident or the story this movie shows is the story of every household keeping that one slap part aside. We have already seen this movie long ago and seeing it repeatedly. This is the scenario of every household. The movie properly shows how deep rooted patriarchy is in our country.

The director has used many household stories in the film to portray this. May be that’s what we call microaggression to which mainly the women are able to relate the most. Because it’s only the women who are experiencing it every day from the very beginning. The role of the women is always STEREOTYPED. The reason of the wife seeking divorce in the film is not only the one slap. It was the attitude of the husband. Who acted like nothing has happened and his wife should move on with him being happy and smiling. If only the attitude of the husband was different the climax of the movie would have been something else. But the director chose to show the unfair privileges that the men has and most of them use it in their household.

The movie starts using the metaphor of a melting ice cream which signifies that you have to take the taste of life and live it the fullest before it gets melted. The protagonist in the film, Amrita, portrayed by Taapsee Pannu, only tried to do that after realising it.

Many interpretations can be made about the film but this won’t make much sense. It won’t change the toxicity of our minds. Because we’re living in a country where a film makes crores where the women is submissive and this kind of movies don’t do even half of it.

DIRECTOR, MR. ANUBHAV SINHA should be thanked for making this film. This was needed and it will be needed years later also. This kind of films where women emerge as strong and independent at the end, are really necessary to be made more frequently.