Assi is a courtroom drama film directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Anubhav Sinha under the banners of Benaras Mediaworks and T-Series Films. The film was released in theatres on 20 February 2026.
Star Cast:
Taapsee Pannu as Advocate Raavi
Kani Kusruti as Parima
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Vinay
Revathy as Vasudha
Manoj Pahwa as Deepraj
Kumud Mishra as Kartik
Satyajit Sharma as Navratan
Advik Jaiswal as Dhruv
Vipul Gupta as Ballu
Sahil Sethi as Sameer
Abhishek Kaushal as Bunty
Tejender Singh as Ghool
Abhishant Rana as Nikka
Sudhana Sankar as Meera
Pahal Samyani as Shweta
Tripti Thakur as Savita
Akshara Padwal as Vidya
Neelam Gehlot as Suman
Gauri Dhawal as Megha
Devendra Chauhan as Sandeep
Anaya Goyal as Sana
Divyansh Mohan as Charlie
Akanksha Choudhary as Kaveri
Naseeruddin Shah in special appearance
Supriya Pathak in special appearance
Seema Pahwa in special appearance
MOVIE REVIEW: A hard-hitting courtroom drama that demands attention, powered by strong performances and a bold narrative, but held back by an uneven pace. Is Assi uncomfortable to watch? Absolutely. But that discomfort is precisely why the film deserves to be seen. Stories revolving around s*xual assault are never easy to digest and Assi doesn’t attempt to soften the blow. Instead, it confronts the audience with harsh realities right from the start.
The film opens with a chilling statistic, a rape is reported every 20 minutes in India and throughout its runtime, it reinforces this reality with a haunting visual cue: every 20 minutes, the screen turns red with the message, “Another woman has been raped in India.” This recurring reminder is deeply unsettling and ensures that the narrative never loses its urgency or relevance.
Anubhav Sinha, reuniting with Taapsee Pannu after Mulk and Thappad, crafts a film that is bold in intent and heavy in impact. The story by Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki is socially significant, demanding attention. Their dialogues are razor-sharp and hard-hitting. However, the screenplay doesn’t always match the strength of the material. While the narrative remains engaging, it tends to slow down, especially in the second half. A tighter edit could have elevated the overall impact significantly.
Taapsee Pannu returns to a space she commands effortlessly and delivers a impressive performance. She brings conviction, restraint, and intensity to her role, culminating in a powerful climax where she truly shines. Kani Kusruti is the emotional backbone of the film. Playing a deeply challenging role, she delivers an exceptional and heartfelt performance that stays with you long after the film ends. Zeeshan Ayyub and child actor Advik Jaiswal are both impressive. Kumud Mishra is decent in his role, while special appearances by Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, and Seema Pahwa leave a mark despite limited screen time.
Assi Rating:
Direction 3/5
Acting 3/5
Dialogues 3.5/5
Story 3/5
Screenplay 2.5/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars (Good)
