‘Assi’ Review: Manages to unsettle you to the core, impact lingers long after credits roll

A lot of films have been made on the subject of rape; multiple dynamics have been explored with regard to the heinous crime on screen – yet, Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Assi’ manages to unsettle you to the core. The impact of the film lingers on your mind long after you’ve left the cinema hall.

‘Assi’ tells the story of Parima (Kani Kusruti), a school teacher who is brutally raped and assaulted on her way back home. Even as she struggles to cope with the physical and emotional trauma, a new ordeal awaits her in the court of law. Sinha dissects the ramifications of rape piece-by-piece; the result is an extremely uncomfortable watch but also one you cannot ignore.

The director chooses to use his lead protagonist Raavee (played splendidly by Taapsee Pannu) to make several strong social statements through the narrative and it hits hard. There are scenes that may make you squirm but that’s the intent. The message is clear – let’s not skirt the issue; let’s play it loud and clear.

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The writing (by Sinha and Gaurav Solanki) is effective even though it screams for attention at times. The setting and situations are as real as they can get, which is why a certain vigilante angle in the film sticks out sorely, it just doesn’t belong into the world that Sinha has constructed.

The multi-layered approach is refreshing, especially when it comes highlighting the after-effects of the crime on not just the victim, but everyone who’s a part of that world. Like the victim’s husband (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) and child; or one of the perpetrator’s parents (fantastic scene between Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak); or even the perplexity of school principal (Seema Pahwa) at the trivialization of rape by the students.

The film has been shot beautifully (by Ewan Mulligan) and manages to hold the tension throughout. The references of real-life statistics on rape throughout the film keep you on the edge and make you question the turbulent times we live in.

Sinha also manages to extract stellar performances from his cast: Pannu, Pahwa, Ayyub, Kumud Mishra, Revathy (as the judge) and Satyajit Sharma as the defence lawyer are phenomenal. Jatin Goswami as the upright but confused cop and child actor Advik Jaiswal are exceptional.     

A film like "Assi" is meant to be watched in a cinema hall because it demands your uninterrupted attention.