<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This article analyses the film <italic>Thappad (The Slap)</italic> (2020) directed by Anubhav Sinha, which portrays slapping as a form of domestic abuse and a violation of women’s right to self-respect. This study investigates the incorporation of Universal Human Rights principles into the discourse of Hindi cinema. Through textual analysis of the film text, the paper examines how the film employs the language of rights as a counter-narrative against patriarchal ideologies, promoting gender equality and dignity within domestic settings. It argues that by countering the conservative cultural perspectives pertaining to spousal abuse through the discourse and philosophy of Human Rights, the film contributes to societal transformation. The paper identifies a shift in the film’s discourse from traditional, orthodox narratives to universal narratives centred around rights.</p>
</abstract>

This article analyses the film Thappad (The Slap) (2020) directed by Anubhav Sinha, which portrays slapping as a form of domestic abuse and a violation of women’s right to self-respect. This study investigates the incorporation of Universal Human Rights principles into the discourse of Hindi cinema. Through textual analysis of the film text, the paper examines how the film employs the language of rights as a counter-narrative against patriarchal ideologies, promoting gender equality and dignity within domestic settings. It argues that by countering the conservative cultural perspectives pertaining to spousal abuse through the discourse and philosophy of Human Rights, the film contributes to societal transformation. The paper identifies a shift in the film’s discourse from traditional, orthodox narratives to universal narratives centred around rights.

From Orthodoxy to the Universal Logic of Human Rights: A Case Study of Film <italic>Thappad</italic> (<italic>The Slap</italic>)

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Gender Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

From Orthodoxy to the Universal Logic of Human Rights: A Case Study of Film  ()

This article analyses the film Thappad (The Slap) (2020) directed by Anubhav Sinha, which portrays slapping as a form of domestic abuse and a violation of...

From Orthodoxy to the Universal Logic of Human Rights: A Case Study of Film Thappad (The Slap)

Published Online: Dec 11, 2023

Page range: 126 - 143

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2023-0038

Keywords
cultural orthodoxy, domestic violence, self-respect, human rights, film

© 2023 Navin Sharma et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

From Orthodoxy to the Universal Logic of Human Rights: A Case Study of Film Thappad (The Slap)

Published Online: Dec 11, 2023

Page range: 126 - 143

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2023-0038

Keywordscultural orthodoxy, domestic violence, self-respect, human rights, film

© 2023 Navin Sharma et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
cultural orthodoxy, domestic violence, self-respect, human rights, film