'Assi' director Anubhav Sinha says, 'A woman is exploited every 18–20 minutes'

A woman would have already been exploited somewhere in the country by the time we finish this conversation, says filmmaker Anubhav Sinha whose new film "Assi" explores the growing cases of sexual violence against women.

The courtroom thriller, starring Taapsee Pannu, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Kani Kusruti, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub , Supriya Pathak, Revathi and Naseeruddin Shah, releases in theatres on February 20.



"Assi", which means 80 in Hindi, is the number of cases that are reported every day and Sinha believes while the figure is disturbing, it is just the tip of the iceberg.




"This is the number of cases that are reported every day. There is no count of those that are hidden on a daily basis. This number in itself was so shocking when we calculated it because every 18 to 20 minutes, something like this takes place. By the time you and I finish talking about it, a woman would have already been exploited," Sinha told PTI in an interview.

The filmmaker has tackled many contemporary issues plaguing the country in films such as "Mulk" (2018), "Article 15" (2019), "Thappad" (2020) and "Bheed" (2023).

"Assi", which reunites Sinha with his "Mulk" and "Thappad" actor Pannu and "Article 15" writer Gaurav Solanki, was born out of questions the director said he found himself grappling with while trying to understand why such cases continue to occur.

"I was going through this internal conflict and kept thinking 'What can I do?' Why are we not doing enough? Is the police not doing anything? What about the judiciary?' And then I realised that the problem is something else. It is easy to blame the police and judiciary, but difficult to blame yourself. This film was written while I was going through this 'antardwand' (inner conflict)," he said.

Sinha said he spent a lot of time reading the accounts of the women who had gone through such experiences.

"Even if there is a support system from all sides, a woman wrote that she used to look at herself in the mirror but thought it was someone else. So, it is very disturbing. Because we as men just cannot fathom this. I read a lot of psychological analysis about perpetrators. 'Who are the people who do this? Where do they get the strength to do this?' So, there were a lot of shocking details," the filmmaker said.

Sinha said while the story is about trying to understand sexual violence against women in Indian society, he wanted to make it engaging and in the form of a fast-moving thriller.

"But, it certainly opens your eyes," he said.

Asked about the rising popularity of a certain kind of male hero who embodies all the violent streaks normalised in patriarchal society, Sinha said such figures have always been aspirational in Hindi cinema.

"In our cinema, there is a hero, and when I say hero, I mean a male hero, and that has always been there because we are a patriarchal society, and we like heroes. But in our cinema, there are stories about Goddess Durga too.

"So that is how our mythology is, that is how our history is. And it is not going to change overnight, but the good news is that now, if you see, women's films are being made, and they are being successful. I truly believe that February is the month of women. Rani (Mukerji) is ruling the roost with 'Mardaani 3' and I am hearing a good buzz around 'Assi'."

Sinha said he has been travelling across north India for the past few months to understand the people and their stories. It is also an attempt to take the film first to Tier-II cities before moving the promotions to metro cities.

"In last four months, I've been to about 40 cities and that's only in the north. I have been to Ranchi, Raipur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Amritsar, Mohali, Jamshedpur, Ahmedabad and Baroda. I want to travel to the south of Maharashtra next year.

"The thing is that the world is a book of stories. Every person is a story. There are so many stories. I meet 50 to 100 people every day. And, obviously, I hear about 100 stories every day. So, they will get stored somewhere in my subconscious and get recycled."

Sinha said his decision to travel the country stemmed from a feeling of disconnect. Over time, he said, he started feeling that his circle of people had grown smaller and he was cut off from the people of the land.

"So, I went out... I have been to all the northern states. And I am really getting to know new ways of life. I mean, you have to get to know the country that you make films about."

So, what's next for the director?

Sinha said he spends almost seven hours a day in the car and he is so tired by the end, that he hits the bed and goes to sleep.

"So, I haven't been able to think about it. But yes, I am working on four scripts. Two of them have already been written and I am collaborating with Gaurav on three," he added.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”