After initiating a dialogue about the importance of consent in sex with Pink (2016), Taapsee Pannu has taken on another uphill battle with Thappad. The trailer, which released yesterday, broke the Internet as women opened up on their own stories of casual violence in relationships and how it has unfortunately been normalised in our patriarchal society. "Some films, like this one, stay with you long beyond the mere narration. I tend to lean towards stories that have a larger impact," begins the actor.

The drama, which shines a spotlight on domestic violence, makes a strong point when Pannu's character asserts that a stray slap inflicted on one's partner, even if it happens only once, is not acceptable. In a way, the Anubhav Sinha-directed venture is the much-needed antidote to Shahid Kapoor's Kabir Singh (2019) that was called out for its deep-rooted misogyny, but went on to mint money at the box office. In one of its shining moments, Thappad's trailer has a character claiming that a slap is also an expression of love — a dig at the infamous line made by Kabir Singh director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.