Assi Movie Review — Anupama Chopra | THR India

Anupama Chopra reviews Assi, Anubhav Sinha's searing courtroom drama streaming on Zee5, starring Kani Kusruti and Taapsee Pannu in career-best performances. Built around the harrowing statistic that a rape is reported in India every 20 minutes, the film follows Parima, a middle-class Delhi teacher whose life is shattered after she is gang-raped in a moving SUV. Taapsee plays Raavi, the tenacious lawyer who argues her case, while Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub brings quiet devastation as Vinay, her husband broken from the inside yet unwavering in support. Revathy anchors the courtroom as a wise and weary judge, and Kumud Mishra plays a man punished by both fate and the justice system, with Naseeruddin Shah rounding out the ensemble. The film delivers gutting emotional moments, sharp performances, and acerbic commentary on urban India's skewed ideas of justice and the many ways women are brutalised. However, the messaging eventually overtakes the storytelling, with plot contrivances and a vigilante detour diluting its potency. Even so, the close-ups and monologues of Kani and Taapsee linger long after the credits roll, and Taapsee's lament for every woman in the country has the power to bring you to tears. #Assi #AnubhavSinha #KaniKusruti #TaapseePannu #BollywoodReview #Lykstage #LykstageVideo #LykstageCreator #LykstageCommunity