Taapsee Pannu is reuniting with her Mulk director Anubhav Sinha and they are currently shooting for their next film titled Thappad. Anubhav, who is not only directing the film but is also jointly producing it with Bhushan Kumar, is looking to wrap the project, which is set in Delhi and has been shot extensively in Lucknow, by mid-October. According to the filmmaker, Thappad tackles an aspect of the man-woman relationship. “It was while discussing it with Taapsee that I was convinced that the story had enough meat to be pursued further,” he told a leading daily. Taapsee, on the other hand, added that she has wanted to address the issue since a long time by saying, “It wasn’t a script when I heard it first, but I was instantly interested. Anubhav sir feels as strongly about the subject as I do."
While Taapsee headlines the film, we now hear that Anubhav, who has developed the film's script with Mrunmayee Lagoo, fleshed out eight characters whose lives run parallel and converge at a particular point. “It cuts through a very important and wide cross-section of the society, dealing with different social strata. I can’t claim to have tackled all the issues women have to deal with, but we have covered several of them. At the end of the day, it is a film that deals with the dynamics of a man-woman relationship,” Anubhav elaborated. The other lead actresses include Dia Mirza, Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvi Azmi, Geetika Vidya, Maya Sarao, Naila Grewal and Gracy Goswami. “There’s also Kumud Mishra and several others. On the first day, we had as many as 15 actors on the set,” confirmed Anubhav.
Given its hard-hitting title, it is safe to assume that Thappad talks about violence in relationships. However, it is not just that as the film also touches on aspects that are taken for granted in a man-woman relationship but shouldn’t be. Confirming it, Anubhav said, “It’s a tragedy that we label women. We conveniently put them on a pedestal, then, use them. My film is not pro-feminists, it is about women. Period. It’s inspired by the stories of my mother, sister, cousins and friends. This is happening all around us, but more often than not, we are so used to it, we don’t notice it. But this film will change your perspective and bring a difference in your life."
Asked if he is giving voice to women after the #MeToo movement in India, the ace director concluded by saying, “I think #MeToo almost became a movement but didn’t reach its logical conclusion. I don’t think it helped the women who should have benefitted from it."
Thappad is slated to open on Women’s Day 2020.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
