EXCLUSIVE! Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad Won Hearts, But His Revelation That He Hired More Women Post #MeToo Will Make You Respect Him More

Anubhav Sinha’s latest directorial Thappad, starring Taapsee Pannu, Ratna Pathak Shah, Pavail Gulati, Dia Mirza and Tanvi Azmi received rave reviews from the audience as well as the critics. The film is cited as one of the best feminist films made in Bollywood for not only showing how wrong domestic violence is but also focusing on the sacrifices and unfair things that happen with women in marriage due to patriarchal beliefs.

Along with spectacular performances, Thappad is also praised for its brilliant writing which Sinha co-wrote with the very talented, Mrunmayee Lagoo. Koimoi got a chance to interact with Anubhav Sinha and Mrunmayee Lagoo and I asked their thoughts on how it’s said that a male director can’t tell a woman’s story as good as a woman director does.

Mrunmayee disagreed with this statement and said, “I think it’s really not true. We have had such amazing films by Gurudutt and others with such amazing and strong female characters. So I think, this whole thing about men can’t do justice to female characters or female point of view is really (wrong). I think a filmmaker is deeply convinced about what he is doing and if the intentions are right there, the gender really makes no difference.”

On the contrary, Anubhav Sinha agreed to it and he also revealed that he hired more women in his team after #MeToo in 2018. The director said, “You are sort of right. But there were too many women around me and helping me, obviously Mrunmayee, then there’s a whole lot of for ADs (assistant director), costume team. I like to talk to the whole crew and take their opinions. Even on the sets, every time I was in doubt, I would turn to them and they have an opinion.”