Assi: A powerful indictment of patriarchy and institutional failure

By Vikas Meshram 

In Indian cinema, there are some directors who place greater importance on social truth than commercial success. Anubhav Sinha is one of them. His films "Article 15," "Mulk," and "Thappad" have commented on social issues and held up a mirror to the collective conscience of our society. Sinha, who was once a commercial filmmaker, turned toward social themes over the past nine years, and this shift gave him a distinct identity. In today's entertainment-driven marketplace, making a socially conscious film is like swimming against the current. His new film, "Assi," belongs to this very tradition.

"Assi" means eighty. The title itself evokes a frightening statistic. In India, a woman is raped every eighty minutes. The film places these numbers before us, but it does not get trapped merely in statistics. It tells the story of one woman, reveals the wound of one man, and portrays the shattered life of one family. Parima, who lives in Delhi, is a schoolteacher from Kerala. Her middle-class life is straightforward—her husband Vinay, a young son, a job, and daily routines. But one night, while returning home after a staff party, five men forcibly drag her into a car and assault her for hours. Afterwards, they dump her on railway tracks and leave. She survives. But her life is literally torn in two.

This narrative recalls the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. So many years have passed, yet the nature of society has not changed much. The investigation goes in the wrong direction, arrests are made, bribes are paid, evidence disappears, and witnesses step back. Amid this chaos, Parima stands alone, and the question of whether she will get justice remains suspended in the air. Ravi, the government lawyer fighting in court, is played by Taapsee Pannu. The narrative gradually weaves itself around her.

Anubhav Sinha has written the film alongside screenwriter Gaurav Solanki. Together, they have created a screenplay that does not allow the viewer to sit still for even a moment. Unlike conventional films, there is no fifteen-minute introduction to the characters and no elaborate establishment of context. The film plunges directly into the heart of the incident. This is done deliberately. In today's age, holding the attention of an audience is enormously challenging. Audiences lost in mobile phones, social media, and constant notifications need to be jolted awake, and for this, "Assi" must speak differently. That is why the film shouts, crashes against you, and shakes you.

The bold red-lettered text cards in the film cannot be forgotten. These cards appear every twenty minutes and announce a number. That number marks yet another rape. The colour red symbolizes danger and blood. It hurts the eyes, but that is precisely its purpose. Some may find this device preachy, but Sinha considers the message so important that he does not hesitate to deliver it repeatedly. If something is truly important, repetition is not a weakness—it is emphasis.

Taapsee Pannu has done complete justice to the character of Ravi. Setting aside her star image, she inhabits this simple government lawyer's role completely. Ravi is an ordinary woman trying to survive while fighting under extraordinary circumstances. Her anger, helplessness, and struggle for justice are rendered with precision. Kani Kusruti's performance as Parima is, in fact, the strongest pillar of the film. She struggles to become the "perfect victim." Society expects her to weep, wither, and collapse. But Parima is not like that. She tries to move forward, to live, and to continue loving her husband and son, even as she keeps absorbing the blows delivered by a cruel justice system. Kani Kusruti's portrayal of this inner conflict is extraordinarily subtle and powerful.

Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub's Vinay is simultaneously sympathetic and complex. He is not a bad man, yet even within his educated and progressive self, there remain traces of masculine ego. He tries to understand but does not always succeed. This incompleteness—being not bad yet not enough—is what connects the character to real life. Kumud Mishra plays a complex police officer who, while being part of the system, struggles against it. His performance carries an endless melancholy, portraying a man who knows what the right thing to do is but repeatedly encounters obstacles. Manoj Pahwa's experience adds yet another deep layer to the film.

Supriya Pathak appears in a small but highly significant role and raises a question that lingers in our minds. Women sustain men and care for them—but what do they receive in return? This question seems simple, but in searching for its answer, one encounters a profound injustice embedded within society.

A young boy in the film—Vinay and Parima's son—speaks very little throughout most of the narrative, yet his presence is felt in every scene. He is watching. What gets imprinted on his mind at this age cannot easily be erased. The world that Ravi is fighting for is ultimately for this boy, for the next generation. The struggle to build a better world is not only for today's women; it is also for tomorrow's children. To convey this idea, Sinha has used the child with remarkable skill.

Many small details in the film take up permanent residence in the mind. A walkie-talkie receiver lying alone on a table becomes a symbol of lost communication and loneliness. The veil used when bringing the accused to court becomes a mirror of shame and the social gaze. This single prop tells us how deeply entrenched society's habit of assigning shame remains, even before justice is delivered. A film song playing at a family gathering becomes a symbol of entertainment's distance from reality. On one side, a woman's world is being destroyed; on the other, people are dancing gleefully. This moment, illustrating the gulf between two worlds, deeply unsettles the viewer.

The sparse use of background music is an important part of the film's style. Most films rely on music during emotional moments, telling audiences when to cry and when to tremble. "Assi" does not do this. In the silence, the viewer is forced to hear the dialogue. Every word enters directly, and the wound it leaves is deeper. This choice is deliberate. Without music, the audience is left alone with the questions the film raises.

It is worth noting how close the film comes to making direct political commentary. Sinha shows plainly how the police, the justice system, and the media are all permeated by politics. In today's climate, many directors avoid such subjects out of fear of censorship. But Sinha steps forward fearlessly because he understands that raising these questions is necessary, even if a price must be paid.

"Assi" is a film that unsettles. It does not allow viewers to feel safe, nor does it permit them to hide behind easy answers. Society is always in search of a villain—find one person, punish them, and then feel relieved. But the questions of rape and violence against women do not end with a single villain. They emerge from a deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset spread across every layer of society. The task of exposing this reality is what "Assi" undertakes.

The film ends on a wound that cannot be healed. Not all questions receive answers. Some pain remains. But if these wounds are not opened, the process of healing can never begin. Covered wounds fester. "Assi" opens the wound, strikes at it, and asks: now tell me, will you choose the path of healing?

In the crowd of commercial cinema, the very fact that films like this are made, survive, and reach audiences is no small achievement. "Assi" did not perform particularly well at the box office, but for those who saw it, it left a deep impression. Important films do not always sell the most tickets; they stay with us for a long time, continue to unsettle us, and continue to inspire us to change.

This film by Anubhav Sinha remains true to the spirit of his earlier work. Making films that demonstrate the courage not to remain silent out of fear, and to keep speaking the truth, is not easy. But it is necessary. "Assi" performs this necessary work. For that, Anubhav Sinha, Gaurav Solanki, Taapsee Pannu, Kani Kusruti, and the entire team deserve sincere appreciation.