Assi – External Reviews

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by Amit Bhatia,

abplive

…he writing by Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki is described as powerful and deeply sensitive. The storytelling flow keeps viewers engaged, while Sinha’s direction and raw visual approach are said to amplify the film’s intensity. The review notes that the director does not make any single character the hero, instead, he makes the story itself the hero….

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by Subhash K Jha,

Bolly Spice

…Taapsee plays Parima’s lawyer. There is quiet protest in her body language, her eyes conveying the calm before the storm. This is not a film that loses its self-control, except when depicting the actual crime. That needed to punctuated. And it is, with horrific elaboration. We have to recognize the beast before tackling it….

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Bollywood Hungama

…On the whole, ASSI is a hard-hitting courtroom drama that unsettles and stays with you, powered by a gripping premise and solid performances, especially by Taapsee Pannu and Kani Kusruti. However, the uneven treatment and distracting subplots prevent it from reaching the heights it clearly aims for. At the box office, it should stay steady in multiplexes due to a relatively clear run, provided its target audience turns up….

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by Eshita Bhargava,

Economic Times

…Assi is not an easy watch. It is disturbing, anger-inducing and, at times, exhausting. But perhaps that exhaustion is deliberate — mirroring the fatigue of women who must constantly negotiate safety in their own country….

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by Devesh Sharma,

Filmfare

…Grounded, serious and unsparing, Assi transforms one woman’s trauma into a collective reckoning. It demands that we examine not only the crime but the culture that incubates it. In doing so, it becomes more than a courtroom drama. It becomes a mirror and an uncomfortable one at that….

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by Murtuza Iqbal,

Free Press Journal

…While the film mainly concentrates on the rape case, there’s a sub-plot about Chatri Man, which doesn’t impress. Also, the pace is a bit slow….

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by Nitin Jain,

Glamsham.com

…Yes, the subject is heavy and the narrative unrelenting. But Assi is compelling not merely because of what it talks about, but because of how it portrays the people affected by it. It is less about sensationalising crime and more about observing consequence — emotional, familial, societal. In doing so, Anubhav Sinha delivers a film that does not seek applause for its outrage, but reflection for its realism….

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by Rishabh Suri,

Hindustan Times

…Overall, even when it stumbles in the latter half, Assi’s intent remains sincere, and it’s gaze stays firmly with the survivor rather than the spectacle around her. This is not a comfortable film, nor does it aim to be. It wants to provoke, to keep the wound open just long enough for the viewer to sit with the discomfort. Assi may not always find the most nuanced way to make its point, but its heart is in the right place, and in today’s climate, that urgency still counts for something….

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by Vineeta Kumar,

india today

…You can watch Assi at any stage in life and its questions will remain relevant and painfully current. Even if justice is delivered, does it resemble justice? What does closure look like in a case where the body survives but something else doesn’t? How do you measure compensation for fear? For the loss of touch? For the fracture of identity?…

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by Shubhra Gupta,

indian express

…Assi has flaws, but is never not an urgent, imperative call to arms. Watch it….

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by UDITA JHUNJHUNWALA,

Live Mint

…At 133 minutes, the pacing is deliberate. Some stretches feel heavy, but the film remains focused on its central argument, with a stark reminder every 20 minutes that a rape has just been committed. Assi builds its case by asking difficult questions about responsibility and about the society and machinery that make such acts possible….

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by Sameer Ahire,

Movie Talkies

…The film leaves you with one clear message — it is our responsibility, and that of the next generation, to “DO BETTER.” And perhaps that thought alone makes Assi worth watching….

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by TITAS CHOWDHURY,

News18.com

…Assi is an urgent watch. Ultimately, films like Assi matter not because they depict brutality but because they force us to confront the everyday silences that surround it. The survivor’s struggle and a female lawyer’s frustration become a mirror to a society that still hesitates to listen, believe and act. Assi deliberately broke from star-driven promotion by positioning itself as a writer-first film. And needless to say, both Anubhav and Gaurav Solanki deserve a mention for a sensitive portrayal of a woman survivor, a woman lawyer and a woman judge along with a doting husband and a bereaved widower, coloured with both empathy and strength….

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by Isha Sharma,

NewsBytes

…Sinha allows the movie to breathe, and there is much to observe in nearly every scene. Assi is not flawless, but it’s a critical watch, especially for adolescents. Released at a time when violent, masculine cinema rules India, Assi might struggle to find takers, but it’s one of the most important movies of our time due to its ever-relevant themes….

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by Isha Sharma,

NewsBytes

…Sinha allows the movie to breathe, and there is much to observe in nearly every scene. Assi is not flawless, but it’s a critical watch, especially for adolescents. Released at a time when violent, masculine cinema rules India, Assi might struggle to find takers, but it’s one of the most important movies of our time due to its ever-relevant themes….

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by Savera R Someshwar,

Rediff

…Should you watch?
Yes.

Because this is a film, though not perfect, has a strong message. It will make you realise how horrifying a crime rape is.

How it is easily, casually turned into a joke even by children. How children know so much more that adults think they do….

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by BH Harsh,

the new Indian Express

…And tying all of these elements in Assi is a sense of tension. The narrative feels like a stray bullet that could hit anyone in its way, causing a whole new chain of terrifying events. It’s unpredictable; we never know which wound it plans to scrape on next. But Assi wants us to heal — for that, the wounds must be addressed. The film ends on one such note — an open wound that may not heal anytime soon. And yet, we hope….

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by Dhaval Roy,

Times of India

…Taapsee Pannu leads from the front here, embodying frustration, empathy, and even dry humour with finesse. Kani Kusruti is outstanding as a survivor attempting to rebuild her life. Revathy brings gravitas as the presiding judge, while Kumud Mishra leaves a mark with his layered performance. Zeeshan Ayyub’s restraint is moving….

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So-So
by Vinamra Mathur,

FirstPost

…She’s wonderfully affectionate even after being mauled by a bunch of monsters. And these perpetrators also get their fair share of attention, sometimes sprinkled with humour. Sinha kind of ensures this is no partisan filmmaking (à la Section 375). And he extracts a tearful performance from the star of the show. Kani never once bellows….

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by Jaya Dwivedie,

India TV

…Assi is an important film. It compels you to think and brings forward a serious issue in society. It has its strengths as well as its flaws. The story is strong, but the writing and presentation fall short in places. Among the performances, Kani Kusruti stands out the most.
The film is not perfect, but its subject is significant. It may not fully satisfy, but it certainly makes you think….

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So-So
by “Rajiv Vijayakar “,

koimoi

…Seven years after Article 15, audiences have changed and largely evolved. But they
too need a more coherent, conclusive and compelling climax. In that sense, Assi, despite all the high ambitions of looking at rape, one of society’s worst social evils, falls short….

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So-So
by Radhika Sharma,

NDTV

…Assi packs a lot in its 2 hour 14 minute-runtime, touching upon several themes of locker room conversation, consent, shame, corruption, vigilante justice, trial on social media, future of children, and accountability of adults. Good intentions but not everything adds up….

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So-So
by Nandini Ramnath,

Scroll.in

…The muted colour palette and unnerving close-ups by cinematographer Ewan Mulligan complement Anubhav Sinha’s approach. Parima’s horrific injuries, the near catatonia of her spouse Vinay, Dhruv’s heartbreaking curiosity – these register strongly when the camera is centimetres away from their faces….

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