You can modernize this by making the "slap" verbal or metaphorical. The "Ranga" character in Soodhu Kavvum uses this dynamic beautifully.
(Proudly) Naan oru moonji la rendu vela paakura aalu. (Translation: I am a man who does two jobs with one face.) tamil comedy script
In a Tamil comedy script, the humor comes from disrupting the status quo. You can modernize this by making the "slap"