Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad deals with the subject of domestic violence. In the film, Taapsee Pannu plays a woman who files a petition after her husband slaps her at a party.

Anubhav, who has previously directed socially-relevant films like Mulk and Article 15, will be hosting special screenings of Thappad across India. The stopovers include Bhopal, Lucknow, Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai, ahead of the wider nationwide release on February 28. 

“I have made this film for men, not women,” Anubhav said. “We are trying to figure out the audience. Some media persons will be invited. The rest will be local artists from the world of literature and music. I chose Lucknow as one of the cities because we shot the film there and I love the city.”

On the film’s subject, the director adds, “Thappad is about the relationship that men and women share, in and outside their marriages. It tackles a plethora of issues that have unfortunately been normalised. A whole lot of us indulge in gaslighting without realising it. In order to correct our behaviour, we need to first know that it is incorrect.”