Why Tamil hit Maaman thinks slapping a woman into submission equals love in 2025?

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

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:

“They represent a problem. A problem that exists.”

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.

“A seemingly modern, educated couple where the woman can hardly voice a thought,” he said. “And what’s worse? She thinks it’s perfectly fine that in a fit of frustration, her husband hits her.”

His point was clear — Koshy and Ruby were not relationship goals.

“Does the film show them as a couple you aspire to be? No... A protagonist who doesn’t even realise there’s something wrong in his way of life — that addresses the problem.”

Great. But here’s the catch: most films don’t stop to make that distinction. They show the slap, soften it with some cinematic syrup, and move right along — often handing the man a halo while the woman wipes her tears.

That’s exactly what happens in Maaman. Aishwarya Lekshmi plays Rekha, a doctor — smart, composed, and grounded. But in this universe, her qualifications don’t matter. The moment she asks for something as radical as her husband’s emotional presence, she’s treated like she’s committed a crime. And once she’s slapped, she’s given no emotional space to process it. Instead, she’s rushed into a forgiveness arc, as though the audience might forget what they just saw if we slap a few violins over it.

It’s not just the violence — it’s the way it’s normalised. Worse, it's often romanticised. The man hits her, realises he was wrong (kind of), does something mildly poetic like touching her feet, and we’re supposed to swoon. Sorry, but no one’s melting here — we’re fuming.

And don’t even get me started on how female characters are written. In Maaman, they orbit around the male protagonist like satellites — mother, sister, wife, grandmother — all defined by their proximity to Inba, the hero. Their lives revolve around his emotions, his bonding with his nephew, his needs. God forbid they want anything for themselves.

Let’s be clear — this isn’t about banning slaps from cinema. It’s about what happens after. Do we confront the violence, or do we package it as passion? Do we give the woman her voice, or do we mute her with sentimentality?

Films like Thappad and Darlings have shown us that it’s possible to portray difficult realities without endorsing them. They hold men accountable. They give women agency. They don’t demand that women forgive for the sake of narrative convenience.

Maaman, on the other hand, clings to a formula that should’ve been retired a decade ago: a slap followed by a tearful hug and a promise to do better. We’ve seen it a thousand times. And it’s tired.

Here’s a wild idea: if your story depends on a woman forgiving violence to function, maybe write a better story.

Because women — on screen and off — are done being slapped into submission. We’re not props for male redemption. We’re not emotional shock absorbers. And we’re definitely not here for any man’s so-called journey if it starts with a raised hand.

In 2025, the slap isn’t shocking anymore. It’s just lazy.