Plot

Thappad is a story of Amrita whose seemingly perfect life is shattered when her husband slaps her once in a party. But is one slap enough to question what a relationship stands for?

Amrita and Vikram Sabharwal are happily married. Vikram works in a reputable company while Amrita is a homemaker and her life revolves around only him. Vikram gets a promotion and they soon relocate to London and throw a celebration party. However, at the party, Vikram finds that he won't be heading the London office after all and will have to work under who was to be his junior employee. Vikram gets in a fight at the party with his colleague and while Amrita is trying to stop Vikram, she gets slapped by him. The incident hurts Amrita badly and life is just not the same. She decides to leave Vikram and move in with her parents. She also institutes legal action and takes the matter to court.—alex.mjacko@gmail.com

Thappad is a story of Amrita whose seemingly perfect life is shattered when her husband slaps her once in a party. But is one slap enough to question what a relationship stands for? Amrita (Taapsee Pannu) marries Vikram (Pavail Gulati) and is soon in the middle of her married life. Vikram is a typical MCP who thinks he is entitled to the slavery of her wife around the wife. He is very career focused and doesn't look at the house at all. Shivani (Dia Mirza) is Amrita's neighbor. Sulakshana (Tanvi Azmi) is Amrita's mom-in-law and lives with them, away from her own husband and her 2nd son, as she doesn't believe he gives her enough time and attention in the house.

Sachin (Kumud Mishra) is Amrita's father and Sandhya (Ratna Pathak Shah) her mother, they live in the same town, but a different place. Vikram has been super stressed about a presentation to his boss about him expanding his company's business in UK and positioning himself to take over the role in London. His whole family is prepping for Vikram and Amrita to move to London soon. The presentation goes very well, and he gets the job. Vikram gives Amrita half a days' notice to organize a party for 30-40 people to celebrate.

At the party, Vikram gets a call from his boss Thapar (Purnendu Bhattacharya) who informs him that Vikram will be the CEO of the UK operations, but would report to the head of the country, who would be a local foreigner. Vikram is angry & starts confronting his senior colleague in the party, whom he suspects of sabotaging his chances for this promotion. Amrita tries to stop Vikram from creating a scene and Vikram slaps her in front of everybody. The next morning Vikram doesn't apologize to Amrita and instead tries to defend his actions. His mother or her own parents don't intervene and expect her to behave normally. Amrita realizes that she has no value in her own home.

Rohit Jaisingh (Manav Kaul) is an award-winning journalist who asks his wife Nethra (Maya Sarao) is use his fame to advance her career as a lawyer, which she refuses to do. After a few days Amrita decides to leave for her parents. even then Vikram tries to make her feel guilty about how he is feeling and how it is her job to support him. In a few days Vikram realizes Amrita's value as goes to her home and ask her parents to send her back. Amrita refuses to go with Vikram and Vikram is even more enraged when Amrita suggests that his parents taught him to hit girls.

Next Vikram sends Amrita a legal notice, citing his conjugal rights in a bid to force her to come home. Amrita hires Nethra as her lawyer. Nethra advises Amrita to patch things up, but she decides to file for divorce instead. Amrita's decision splits the house down the middle. Her bro Karan (Ankur Rathee) and her mum are against her, while her father is supportive. Vikram hires Advocate Pramad Gujral (Ram Kapoor) as his lawyer. Pramad asks Vikram to talk to Amrita one last time before taking this to court. Meanwhile Sulakshana falls unconscious due to low blood sugar and only Amrita's quick action saves her. She tells Vikram that she doesn't love him and would never reconcile. She even tells Nethra that she doesn't want 50% of his property or maintenance. But Nethra convinces her to ask for her right.

In response Vikram sends a legal notice saying that Amrita is leaving the marriage because Vikram's London transfer got nixed and the slap is just a convenient excuse. Now Amrita falls preggers (and has been for 2 months).. She tells Vikram. Vikram tells Amrita that his London transfer has been approved. Vikram thinks that now that she is preggers, everything will go back to normal. But Amrita doesn't agree. Vikram threatens to fight for custody of the kid.

Vikram puts his life on hold and asks Pramad to fight an aggressive battle to force Amrita's family to the negotiating table. Pramad tells Nethra that Vikram is willing to divorce, will give an apartment and maintenance, but wants full custody of the child. Nethra refuses angrily and is angry at the entitlement attitude of both Vikram and his lawyer. Nethra files a domestic violence petition which puts Vikram in a bind because if he is arrested his career goes for a toss. His boss at the company and Pramad both tell him that he was wrong and Amrita is right. Even Sulakshana comes around and supports Amrita in her fight against Vikram.

Nethra gets courage from Amrita's actions and leaves her husband who doesn't value her. Amrita and Vikram get divorced on her terms with equal custody of their kid in the future.