Slapped woman is a lazy prop

Apparently, nothing says “true love” in Indian family dramas quite like a well-timed slap.

- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan

The heroine speaks up, the hero gets offended, and next thing you know — there’s a loud smack, followed by swelling background music, a tearful apology, and... forgiveness. Because, of course, a man just has to say sorry and touch your feet to make it all okay.

Enter Maaman, a Tamil film released in 2025 — not 1985, though you’d be forgiven for the confusion — where Soori plays a man-child obsessed with his nephew and oblivious to his wife’s emotional needs. When she dares to question him (while pregnant, mind you), he slaps her in public. Cue the hero’s redemption arc, and the wife’s scripted forgiveness. Because God forbid a woman in Indian cinema react like a real person with self-respect.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

We've seen this act before. In fact, I asked Malayalam star Prithviraj about a similarly problematic scene in Ayyappanum Koshiyum back in 2020, where his character slapped his wife in a moment of frustration — only for her to immediately comfort him. His response was measured. He went on to explain that the dynamic between Koshy and Ruby was meant to reflect a toxic relationship, especially when contrasted with the healthier marriage between Biju Menon’s Ayyappan and his wife, Kannamma.