By the time we finish this conversation, a woman will likely have already been exploited somewhere in the country, 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, will be released in theaters on February 20.
"Assi," which means 80 in Hindi, refers to the number of cases reported daily, and Sinha believes that while this figure is alarming, it only represents the tip of the iceberg.
"This refers to the number of cases reported daily. There's no record of the cases that go unreported. The fact that this number is so high is shocking, as it suggests that something like this happens every 18 to 20 minutes. By the time we finish talking about it, a woman would have already been exploited," Sinha told
Sinha 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 actors from "Mulk" and "Thappad," Taapsee Pannu and Gaurav Solanki, who wrote "Article 15," was born out of the questions Sinha found himself grappling with while trying to understand why such cases continue to occur.
"I was grappling with these internal conflicts and constantly asking myself, 'What can I do? Why are we not doing enough? Are the police not doing anything? What about the judiciary?' And then I realized that the problem is more complex. It's easy to blame the police and judiciary, but it's 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 experienced such situations.
"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-paced 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 normalized 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 also stories about Goddess Durga.
"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 the 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.
