She is in a marriage where domestic violence and marital rape are the order of the day. Directed by Punarvasu Naik, Beena (Dutta) is married to Sahay (Sanjay Kapoor). And nothing explains it better than “Thappad.”Īnother short story featuring the uber talented Divya Dutta as an ill-treated housewife in “Sleeping Partner,” brings home the message of domestic violence and marital rape, which are discussed with sensitivity and seriousness. We don’t know how strong we are until being strong is the only option. With barely a word spoken in the film, slow motion and a frame in which the maker focuses on the act of bullying rather than the bullies, the storyteller conveys the point – power doesn’t bring about a change, it’s the courage to stand up against injustice that does. True to its title, “Thappad” will echo for hours in your mind as a brother stands up for his big sister by doing the unthinkable – letting him slap her so hard he falls to the ground. Interestingly, we only see Bablu’s face on the screen, while the other characters are just arms and legs…a clever way to focus on the tiny protagonist’s perspective. Bablu becomes the hero from his comic books to save his sister from roadside Romeos. But the brilliance with which it has been shot on just an iPhone with the bundle of talent that is young actor Shafin Patel (“Skater Girl”) with his signature killer smile, comes across as an empowering statement against bullying. Directed by Vinay Chhawaal, this film centers around a brother-sister duo in a distant village, strangely reminiscent of the “Wild Wild West.” The two being the only characters, we see. One can’t arrange these marvels in any order but “Thappad” is my clear favorite. But Academy Award winner Indian film producer Guneet Monga (“Gangs of Wasseypur,” “The Lunchbox,” “Masaan”) does just that with her seven slice-of-life short films entitled “Zindagi in Short,” which I promise, will have you grinning from ear-to-ear, and wishing for just a little more, at the end. Rarely, does a film make you smile, laugh, cry and make you think, all within its 120 mins.
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