Taapsee Pannu: It is trivial to say Thappad is the answer to Kabir Singh

The gripping trailer of Thappad, starring Taapsee, prompted instant comparison with the romantic drama Kabir Singh on social media. In Kabir Singh, the hero has violent tendencies and is seen slapping the heroine, and she too slaps him. The film’s director Sandeep Reddy Vanga had defended the slapping saying a “little bit of violence” is part of a relationship.

The Anubhav Sinha-directed Thappad on the other hand takes a serious look at the issue of domestic violence, with particular focus on how violent behaviour is ground for divorce, irrespective of the number of times it happens. Simply put, even if it is just one slap, it counts as domestic violence.

Taapsee points out thecomparison with Kabir Singh is wrong.

“It’s not that we have made this film (Thappad) keeping Kabir Singh in mind. I feel very sad when I hear people saying that ‘we have made a film to give an answer to another film’. This film was written before the release of Kabir Singh. I feel the thappad (slap) is only a trigger, but there are so many other things that will unfold about relationships in this film. I agree to the fact that there was one instance in that film (Kabir Singh) that doesn’t match with the ideology of our film, but didn’t it happen in many earlier films? There are thousands of films where women have been slapped by men ad what’s the new about it? That film (Kabir Singh) has only been the latest one and that’s why people feeling this way. It’s trivialising to say that Thappad is an answer to Kabir Singh, because it is way beyond that,” said Taapsee. She added that she would have never done a film like “Kabir Singh”. “I feel people shouldn’t leave their brain at home while watching a film. ‘Kabir Singh’ collected a lot of money and I congratulate the makers of that film, but I wouldn’t have done that film had I been offered Kabir Singh’s part and. obviously, I would have never done the girl’s part.”