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

Twenty-Five

They say twenty-five matters, 25 is the age where you are asked to be responsible, You are supposed to bring home food, It's an age where your uterus has to be fukcing good, It is an age where you have to be fair And good as a nymph, It is when your wallet should have a five-figure sum. They say at twenty-five, You will be twenty-five times purer than ever, To breed and nurture, No dear not your dreams, but your children's. But that's not it. I SAY THAT IS NOT IT. It is an age where you realize, You no longer have the desire to live the monotonous life, You no longer feel alive at a celebration, You find yourself as the perfect company, You don't care if you die today or tomorrow, You want to puke at people who restrict you from doing things. You no longer want to be surrounded by people, And your skills are your only saviours. At 25, you no longer care if people love ...

Revising Utharam: The Weight of Forgotten Truths

I think more than ghost stories, most people are afraid of the unknown. The unknown when transforms into a more fearful truth can devastate a person’s entire existence. V.K Pavithran’s 1989 movie Utharam is based on Daphne Du Maurier’s short story “No Motive”. It follows Balu’s quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious and unexpected suicide of Leena, his best friend Mathew’s wife and someone he considers family. Balu’s investigative skills as a journalist lead him to some strange and unexpected revelations about Leena’s past. He discovers that Leena had a completely different personality and a shocking, forgotten history. Despite being a generous person and loving wife of Mathew, Leena lived a seemingly perfect life, content and unaware of her repressed memories. Her life as a poet and a loving partner to Mathew appeared nothing short of perfection. Yet one fine day she decided to take her life in the spur of the moment. Unlike most mystery movies ...

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 ...

THE FORGOTTEN STORIES

Search This Blog