A week before its release, Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad has made inroads into intellectual minds in several parts of the country. In an unprecedented show of confidence in his artistic creation, the filmmaker has arranged a special preview of the film in four cities, to be hosted by four of his filmmaker friends.
“The special screenings are in Delhi, Bhopal, Jaipur, and Mumbai. Four of my colleagues are hosting these special screenings. In Delhi, it was Vishal Bhardwaj and in Bhopal, it was Sudhir Mishra. In Jaipur, it will be Hansal Mehta and in Mumbai, Anurag Kashyap will be hosting the special screening of my film,” an elated Anubhav reveals.
Such confident unveiling of a film is rare in these days of media bashing when filmmakers want to protect their creation from the critical gaze for as long as possible. “I believe I’ve made a good film. In fact, I consider Thappad to be my best work to date. It is the one I am most proud of. It’s the one where I’ve made the least mistakes,” the director asserts.
Journalist Barkha Dutt tweeted after watching Thappad that she wept all through the film. “I am getting a lot of that. Many people who have watched Thappad are moved to tears. I didn’t even know Barkha properly, I didn’t even have her number. When I invited her, she immediately agreed to come to see my film,” says Anubhav, who wants the film to reach out to the right audience-profile.
Meanwhile, Tapsee Pannu, who rips the screen apart with her unquestionable commitment to her character, says she is confident but nervous about Thappad. “So far, the response to Thappad is too to good to believe. I am feeling overwhelmed. I am trying to hold on to my horses until February 28, when the film releases. I will rejoice fully only after the audience gives the film the same love that they did to my earlier films,” she hopes.
When asked about her secret formula for success in the socially relevant space of cinema, the actress stops to think before explaining “Hone stly, it is just fearlessness. I am not afraid to stumble in the dark. I just think about what might happen in the worst-case scenario and then I take my leap of faith. I have worked with Anubhav sir before, so I knew I was in safe hands.”
As for her Thappad director transforming into a different filmmaker with Mulk, Taapsee says, “I had the privilege of being a part of Mulk, the film that started his Version 2.0 journey as a filmmaker.”
