The courtroom drama Assi, directed by Anubhav Sinha and headlined by Taapsee Pannu, continues to witness a steady slowdown at the Indian box office. On its first Wednesday, the film registered yet another drop in collections. While the decline was not sharp, it came from already modest weekday numbers, limiting its overall impact. According to early estimates, the film collected approximately ₹45 lakh on Day 6, pushing its total domestic nett collection to around ₹5.60 crore.
The film, which also features a strong supporting cast including Kani Kusruti, Revathy, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, is now approaching a crucial phase as it prepares to face fresh competition from The Kerala Story 2 this weekend. Despite receiving largely favourable word-of-mouth, the film’s theatrical performance so far suggests that positive audience feedback alone may not be enough to drive footfalls in the current market scenario.
One of the primary challenges affecting Assi’s box office trajectory appears to be limited audience awareness and engagement prior to release. The film was promoted in a relatively low-key manner, which may have restricted its reach among mainstream viewers. In an era where visibility plays a critical role in theatrical turnout, the absence of an aggressive promotional push has arguably impacted its ability to generate opening momentum.
Another significant factor influencing the film’s performance is the shifting audience mindset toward mid-budget, content-driven cinema. Increasingly, viewers are beginning to associate such films with eventual digital premieres rather than urgent theatrical experiences. With the growth of streaming platforms, a section of the audience is willing to wait for OTT releases instead of watching these films in cinemas. This evolving behaviour presents a broader industry concern, particularly for small and medium-scale productions.
Trade discussions have frequently pointed to the need for a longer gap between theatrical and digital releases to preserve cinema-going urgency. Extending the OTT window to around six months could potentially encourage audiences to return to theatres for such films. Without such strategic adjustments, stakeholders fear that the theatrical business model for mid-range content-driven projects may continue to face sustainability challenges.
Interestingly, the collaboration between Anubhav Sinha and Taapsee Pannu has previously delivered encouraging results. Their earlier film Thappad opened to ₹2.75 crore and went on to collect ₹13.50 crore over its first weekend. It eventually wrapped up its theatrical run at around ₹30 crore nett, recovering its production cost and being considered a respectable success within its genre.
Assi now looks toward its second weekend for potential growth. If word-of-mouth translates into increased footfall, the film could see an uptick in collections. However, with new releases entering the market, its performance over the coming days will be crucial in determining its long-term theatrical outcome.
Day-wise Box Office Collection
Day Nett Collection
Friday ₹1.00 crore
Saturday ₹1.60 crore
Sunday ₹1.50 crore
Monday ₹0.55 crore
Tuesday ₹0.50 crore
Wednesday ₹0.45 crore*
Total: ₹5.60 crore nett
