Highlights
- Trailer of Anubhav Sinha’s Assi has been unveiled
- Taapsee Pannu plays a lawyer fighting for justice in a rape case
- Film features Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra
- Assi marks Taapsee and Sinha’s third collaboration
The trailer of Assi, starring Taapsee Pannu, was released on Wednesday, offering a stark glimpse into a social drama centred on a lawyer battling a rape case that upends a woman’s life.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha and written by Sinha along with Gaurav Solanki, the film brings together an ensemble cast including Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
A case that begins on the railway tracks
The trailer introduces Taapsee as a determined lawyer who takes on the case of a woman assaulted by a group of men and left on railway tracks. Kani Kusruti and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub play the couple at the heart of the story, navigating the aftermath of the crime and the legal battle that follows.
One of the trailer’s most striking moments sees Taapsee’s character delivering an emotional courtroom argument, highlighting that as many as 80 rape cases are reported in the country in a single day — a statistic that underscores the urgency driving the film.
Familiar collaborators, urgent themes
Assi marks the third collaboration between Taapsee and Anubhav Sinha, following Mulk (2018) and Thappad (2020). Speaking about the film, Taapsee said the story brings together incidents that often get reduced to routine crime headlines.
She noted that such cases should never be normalised and added that the film examines not just the crime, but also society’s limited response to preventing it. The actor described the two-hour narrative as deeply moving, forcing audiences to confront realities they often look away from.
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‘A loud thud where it should land’
Sinha said Assi draws directly from everyday news and uncomfortable truths that are frequently ignored. He described the film’s impact as deliberate and unavoidable, adding that Taapsee was a natural choice for the role.
The filmmaker also credited producer Bhushan Kumar for backing a project rooted in social reality, calling it a necessary intervention rather than a conventional courtroom drama.
Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak and Seema Pahwa appear in special roles in the film.
Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Anubhav Sinha, Assi is set to release in theatres on February 20.
