Review of the movie Thappad- By Mr Man

 "...writers Anubhav Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul do well in turning a solitary slap into larger exploration of male entitlement. " 

Says who?

 Some imbecile, feminist, male basher...?

Do I even care what such types think?

Arey, I wasted my hard earned one thousand rupees on this crap called 'THappad'. I deserve a thappad for that...anyway the damage is done. By now you all must have read many reviews of this soppy movie. If you are man read my review and stay away from this movie-if you are a woman concentrate on your happy life and stay away from these feminist types. I am just an ordinary, Indian guy so don't expect very high fi English from me- but rest assured I will deliver my message.

 Unlike our fellow species we men are very pragmatic. Just imagine, if the whole world were inhabited by only women there would be no progress-they would probably be in Stone Age or some such because of their tendency to live in the past.

What were the writers smoking when they wrote the husbands' parts?

We are not all wife bashers like that house help's Sunita's husband: it is these low class, uneducated, slum types who beat their wives and resultant we all get this 'domestic violence' shit. 

So, moving to the male protagonist of the movie, I must be honest. First time Bollywood came up with a hero who doesn't set impossible romantic standards for us males. I mean this guy is real, he loves his job, he is ambitious, he works hard, he provides for his family. The one good thing-the only thing that is good about this movie is: the man isn't ugly, he looks good, he is rich, he is intelligent, he plays fair and he has more to do with real life struggles and no time to dance around trees chasing his wife. Perhaps that's why women reviewers bash this guy's character.

So, they show the wife hurrying down after him as he strides to his car (a Merc no less, I told you the guy is rich and successful and therefore doesn't have time for all this romantic shit) carrying his tea just the way he likes it in a thermos, his lap top etc. They show this scene repeatedly at different junctures. So, anything wrong in that? Arey bhai she is a house wife, this is her job. The man is doing his job. This is life. This is fair. The fact that he misses the exact taste of the tea in his thermos when she leaves him, more than he misses her is so relatable. I mean, wife kaa kaam hai achhi chaii banana...it is her duty to keep our preferences, likes, dislikes as her centre point. 

The climax of the movie, it's focal point is the slap. I mean, I am incredulous, who can make a three hour movie based on just one slap. It was a party scene, people are having a good time, the wife is also having a good time dancing wancing...
I mean, thanks to whom?

 She is the house wife doesn't earn a goddamn penny, they show her teaching some bharatnatyam to the neighbor's kid...so she has to be thankful for all the good things in life-the husband works so hard for. I mean, does the car, the palatial house come for free? Any way I digress. Yes, so in that party the husband gets a call. Things are screwed at work, 
naturally he is very upset. 
He is angry. 
He confronts his Senior present at the party, things get a bit out of hand-the silly wife tries to intervene. She tries to pull him away...lagaa di ek...
he slaps her. 
That's all that happens.

Next day he tries to explain.
 He was upset.
 He needed to vent. 
She is his.
 So he did it. 
Bhai, wife toh hai hi gussa utaar ne ke liye...
The wife goes into Meena Kumari mode. When she does too much 'natak';
 he says, "it's okay yaar, shit happens, people move on."
But of course the movie has to be made, the males have to be bashed, so the wife does not relent. They show other female characters rallying around the wife. The buffoonish father of the wife encourages his silly daughter. But as always it is the mother of the husband who gets it right. She says right after the slap, "ghar ki baat hai...". Practical naa, mothers always get it right. 

Not surprisingly, the wife decides to go for a divorce. 
In a dialogue with her lawyer she says, "mein Khush rehana chahti hoon".

 Arey, what's not 'Khushal' about her life? Bangla, gaadi, pyaar karne waala pati, understanding saas...what more does she want? 

What do women want? 

After enduring this movie for two and a half hours, I still did not get the answer. I mean, there is no answer. 

Men and women are equal. One takes the other gives. It's that simple. See the movie if you want but don't look for any answers. They make the poor husband apologize in the end. Mein hota toh kehta mujhe pata hi nahin meine kya galat kiya. If this were not a Bollywood movie and real life- I am sure 100%- all men would say, "what did I do, it was just one slap..."

By
-Mr Man