Assi Movie Review: Story, Meaning & Honest Verdict
The trailer of “Assi” was released just now, but it’s making waves even as it spreads like wildfire on social media. This film, made by the man of unapologetic cinema, Anubhav Sinha, who’s given us Article 15, Mulk, and Thappad, isn’t ordinary. It’s more than just a legal thriller.
If you’re looking for a movie that lingers with you even after the movie is over, here is why Assi is the most important conversation of 2026.
The Story: Beyond the Statistics
The title “Assi” or “Eighty” not only carries a number but also poses a haunting question. The basic premise of this film revolves around a shocking figure, a figure of eighty reported cases of sex crimes happening every single day in India, i.e., a figure of sex crimes occurring every twenty minutes.
The story follows Raavi, played by Taapsee Pannu, an unrelenting lawyer who takes up the case of a gang-rape that the system is more than happy to bury. The world may see another headline, but Raavi sees a woman, gut-wrenchingly vulnerable, played by Kani Kusruti, whose life has been reduced to a file number. The film is less about the “who-dunnit” and more about the “how-it-keeps-happening.” It tracks the exhausting maze of victim-blaming, political pressure, and the slow, grinding gears of the Indian judiciary.
Meaning: Breaking the “Normal”
Why call it Assi? Because when one crime occurs 80 times a day, it ceases to be “news” and becomes “background noise.” It is in the rebellion against normalization that the deep-rooted meaning of the film lies.
Taking place within a courtroom setting, Sinha examines how we, as a society, have been able to attain a kind of “statistical immunity” to tragedy. We learn of a brutal assault, a fleeting moment of rage is sparked within us, and then we continue to our lunchtime repast. Assi confronts us with this complacency. It emphasizes how this is not a question of ineffective criminals and police, but also of our lack of action as a society, to have dealt with this number as consistently as we have been able to. At what point was it ever acceptable to us to lose eighty percent per day?
Why This Film Feels Real
Unlike numerous courtroom dramas in Bollywood flicks where “Objection, My Lord!” is used in drama form, Assi is uncomfortable in its grounding.
1. The “Mulk” Sensibility
Reuniting powerhouse duo Taapsee Pannu and Anubhav Sinha brings grit, often feeling quite palpable. Taapsee plays Raavi as no superhero-she is tired, angry, and occasionally terrified; her victories feel rather earned instead of scripted.
2. A Cast That Looks Like Us
The ensemble is a masterclass in realism: from Naseeruddin Shah and Revathy to Manoj Pahwa, the firm but restrained judge captures the different layers of Indian society, from the accused’s affluent, defensive parents. These are not “villains” in capes; these are people we know, using logic we’ve heard in our own living rooms.
3. The Visual Language
It is seen in the trailer that there will be realistic cinematography employed in the film. The ink stains on Taapsee’s face in the posters signify the “stain” in the system, which cannot be washed away. It is not set in a fantastical city, but amidst the dusty, crowded, and red-taped reality of contemporary India.
Final Thoughts
Assi is not an easy viewing experience, and it is certainly not meant to be. Assi is a film that was meant to make you uncomfortable. It is a film that takes “everyday crime news” and makes you confront it for two hours. Assi is a film very needed in this “escapist” cinema trend.
When it does release on February 20, 2026, don’t watch it for the performances. Don’t watch it for that. Watch it to remember that every time you see the number “80,” it represents a name, a family, and a story that should have had a different ending.
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