A Thappad on the Unquestioned

"Just a Slap, par maar nahi sakta". Yes you can't slap her just because she is your wife, You can't slap her just because you are frustrated, you can't slap her because you are about to lose your dream job.

Thappad clearly points out the politics of social power, where the so- called vulnerable and the subjugated ones are always meant to be insulted and assaulted. You slap somebody to make them feel smaller than you or debase that person which everyone thinks is normal, but is actually not.

Amrita is a representative of many women. It was just respect and happiness that all she wanted in her life.But when Vikram slaps her, her life turns upside down.After marriage, she invested her life to become a perfect housewife, but that slap was a reality check for Amrita which brought back every wrongs that she presumed as right.And from that very moment,she realised that she no longer loves her husband whom she loved dearly. Amrita takes the bold step to divorce not just because she got slapped, but she can no longer love him the way she loved,and that one slap broke her world around Vikram which now only looks like a mended one even if she forgives.

Amrita is equally an individual as Vikram with dreams and choices,and they are bound together by a contract of marriage which should be built on love and respect and should not be an 'adjustment' system.Just like Amrita and other female characters many women give up their dreams to be a good housewife, but in return do they get what they deserve? They do not demand superiority over husband, all they need is equality,love,respect and recognition.This happens in every binary system in society. Thappad and Amrita demand the need to break all the unquestioned binary systems that we have been following and imposing and expect to uphold individual dignity, choices and self-respect. And remember"kai baar sahi karne ka result happy nahi hota".

A.C

Comments

The Lost Daughter - An Ode to Motherhood and Flawed Mothers

Mothers are always praised and glorified for the sacrifices that they make and are called supermoms, if they find a balance with their family and work life. Movies have always portrayed mothers as either sacrificial or supermoms. But do all the mothers choose the same road? Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Lost Daughter' speaks for all the flawed unnatural mothers. People who become mothers at an early age, who feel traumatized by the whole new version of themselves, who live in fear of losing their original identity in the run for creating one for their children, who make choices selfishly regardless of their children's needs. Leda in the movie, in fear of losing her individuality in the love for her children, takes a decision to focus on her career. She finds it as an amazing experience and embraces everything that she desired, peeling off the perfect mother image that she is supposed to keep. When women are considered to have innate motherness in them, people don't re...

The Women of Rifle Club

Over the decades, Malayalam cinema has often used female characters to uphold male protagonists, reinforcing the power dynamics in favor of men. This pattern, normalized and celebrated as long as the hero “wins” the situation, has shaped narratives for years. However, in recent times, audiences have begun to unlearn this ingrained bias, recognizing it as something that needs to be critiqued rather than celebrated. Aashiq Abu’s Rifle Club breaks away from this mold, igniting the fiery tension of a wild war in the Western Ghats. What sets this film apart is its portrayal of women— each female character is uniquely strong and layered, claiming her identity with confidence. From being mocked for being “just a woman” to owning the scene, characterisations of women in Malayalam cinema are beginning to emerge as unstoppable forces. Society often perpetuates the stereotype that women, being emotional, are inherently weaker or less stable in grave situations. Instead, the movie shows that ...

All I Want for Us is to Feel Again

We were young girls Who used to play at the beach, Hugging, we watched the sun drowning. We danced till the candyman went home, Our skirts swayed with the wind, Cajoling us to stay a bit longer. We never thought this picture would fade away. I know this would never come back, But I want to feel again. I want to go back where my heart is. All I want is to be free and feel again. The colours and smell still linger with me, I miss the happiness I felt, The aches that watered me. My skin misses the way it felt, My hair misses the gentle kiss of the beach wind The bookstores and beach waters wait for us, They send a thousand silent sirens to us, When will we feel it again? The recklessness of age, the courage of freedom, the music in our brains, And the limbs that never stopped. The yellow city lights Gladly kissing the fine roads, absorbed our shadows,...

THE FORGOTTEN STORIES

Search This Blog