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Taapsee Pannu’s Assi Movie Review (2026): The courtroom drama thriller “Assi” is all set to hit the worldwide theatres on February 20, 2026, and the film takes us to a deeply unsettling and socially relevant subject that delivers through intense performances and a sincere creative vision. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film stars Taapsee Pannu and Kani Kusruti in pivotal roles. The film starts with striking emotional clarity but somehow struggles in the second half to maintain the same narrative sharpness.
Below is a detailed and structured review of Assi, based on the latest critical assessment.
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Baapofmovies.com Rating: 3.5/5
- Directed By: Anubhav Sinha
- Written By: Anubhav Sinha, Gaurav Solanki
- Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, and Seema Pahwa
- Runtime: 133 Minutes (2hr 13min)
Plot: A Disturbing Reality Told with Urgency
Assi follows the story of Parima (Kani Kusruti), a working woman who is living in Delhi with her husband. One evening, as she was returning home from work, she is abducted and sexually assaulted by a group of men.
This leads to a grounded, procedural, and emotional exploration of what happens after the crime. We are taken to the struggles of police questioning, courtroom proceedings, and the crushing social judgements that are faced by survivors.
The film wastes no time as it pulls viewers into Parima’s nightmare. The Assi story establishes that this will be a difficult and uncomfortable watch. The storytelling is decent, as it keeps reminding the viewers that sexual violence is not an isolated incident but a recurring and deeply rooted societal problem.
However, as the film progresses, the storytelling begins to lose focus. In the second half, As tries to attempt to address every possible social reaction surrounding a rape survivor, but the narrative slips into familiar cinematic territory.
Cast Performances: The Film’s Strongest Asset
Kani Kusruti gives a very subdued and moving performance as Parima. Her performance is devoid of any over-the-top emotional moments and instead is based on silence, gestures, and emotional restraint, making her character feel very real.
Taapsee Pannu, as advocate Raavi, gives a good and composed performance. Her character is the moral and legal fibre of the story, and Taapsee adds authenticity to the courtroom and investigation sequences.
The supporting performances also have a lasting effect, particularly from:
- Manoj Pahwa, as the father of one of the accused
- Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, as Parima’s emotionally supportive husband
- Revathy, who makes a brief but impactful appearance as the judge
- The entire cast, which also includes Naseeruddin Shah, Supriya Pathak, and Kumud Mishra, is very consistent in raising the bar.
Direction and Writing: Strong Intent, Uneven Execution
The intention is clear in Anubhav Sinha’s work; he wants to keep the audience engaged with the survivor and not make the crime a spectacle. The film is written with a sense of urgency and moral conviction.
However, the second half of the movie feels disjointed. There are some plots that deal with institutional and social hypocrisy that start to feel like a series of packaged statements instead of a natural progression of the story. A school-related subplot and a vigilante storyline are especially hard to connect with on an emotional level and feel like they’re disrupting the flow of the story.
What Works Well
- Handling of trauma and sensitivity
- Strong performances
- Uncompromising gaze that is fixed on the survivor
- Realistic handling of legal and social processes
What Could Have Been Better
- Repeated thematic points in the second half of the movie
- Forced social commentary
- Vigilante storyline that doesn’t add much to the story
Final Verdict: An Important Film That Still Matters
‘Assi’ is definitely not an easy watch, nor does it try to make its impact any less. Even when the film goes wrong with its narrative, it still retains its emotional truth and conviction.
Watch Assi Trailer
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