Mumbai’s cinema landscape is buzzing with discussions around Taapsee Pannu’s latest courtroom thriller ‘Assi’, which hit theaters on February 20. Despite the actress’s rising stardom, the film has struggled at the box office, leaving industry veteran Manoj Desai puzzled.
As the executive director of iconic venues like G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir, Desai shared his insights in an exclusive chat. ‘Taapsee is incredibly promising, and I’m a huge fan,’ he admitted. ‘She’s a fantastic performer, yet the movie’s underwhelming performance is surprising.’
The root of the issue? The film’s title. ‘Audiences were confused by ‘Assi’,’ Desai explained. ‘They kept asking management what the actual name was.’ This ambiguity seems to have deterred potential viewers from the outset.
Challenging the notion that women-led films flop, Desai pointed to successes like ‘Mardaani 1, 2, and 3’. ‘Those delivered strong box office returns,’ he noted, proving content can triumph regardless of lead gender.
Shifting gears, Desai praised violent actioners dominating screens. ‘Dhurandar is the most violent and it’s doing great—people are rewatching it. Border 2 also succeeded, building hype for Dhurandar 2.’ Meanwhile, ‘O Romeo’ runs averagely on four screens, and he’s optimistic about ‘Toxic’ making waves.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, ‘Assi’ follows a fierce lawyer battling a sexual harassment case. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, and Sinha under Banaras Mediaworks and T-Series, the film underscores gritty justice themes but faces title-induced hurdles in reaching audiences.
Desai, a stalwart in preserving single-screen theaters, remains a voice of experience in Bollywood’s evolving exhibition scene. As ‘Assi’ navigates these challenges, it highlights how perception can sway a film’s fate.