MUMBAI: Actor Ankur Rathee who made a mark with his performances in Amazon's “Four More Shots Please” and Zoya Akhtar's “Made in Heaven” is all geared up for his next big release in Bollywood, Thappad.

Ankur, who will be seen playing Taapsee Pannu’s brother, explains how the film is driven by an event that occurs in Taapsee’s marriage which changes the course of her life. “The way a brother responds when something like this happens to his sister is the crux of my character. Sibling love is very powerful, but it can take unexpected forms when colliding with the Indian family structure and gender norms. Playing this role made me realize a lot of gender stereotypes I propagate in my own life. It also made me question what role sacrifice plays in love and marriage."

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Thappad features Taapsee Pannu, Dia Mirza, Pavail Gulati, Ratna Pathak, Ram Kapoor, Tanvi Azmi, Kumud Mishra, Naila Grewal, and Ankur Rathee as lead characters. The film releases in theaters 28 Feb, 2020 .

Thappad is Ankur’s immediate release after The Tashkent Files, which was declared the sleeper hit of 2019. He played the role of a political figure, sharing substantial screen time with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah. In 2020 Ankur will be seen in the second season of “4 More Shots Please” as well as other upcoming series for Amazon Prime, Hotstar, and Applause Entertainment. Ankur also recently walked the ramp along with Sara Ali Khan for Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.