Taapsee Pannu Breaks Silence on Assi’s ‘A’ Certificate

Actor Taapsee Pannu has spoken about the certification of her recent film Assi, expressing surprise that the courtroom drama was granted an adult-only certificate.

In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Pannu said the team expected the film to receive a U/A certificate, especially because its message was aimed at younger audiences.

We got an adult certificate. I honestly don’t know what we showed that warranted that, especially when you compare it to films where you see people being beheaded or blood splashing everywhere. Those films sometimes get a U/A certificate,

she said.

The actor explained that Assi was conceived as a film that would speak directly to the younger generation. According to her, the narrative acknowledges the mistakes of the present generation while placing hope in those who come next.

We were actually talking to the next generation. In a way, we were accepting that our generation has already made its share of mistakes. Our hope now lies with the next generation—that they don’t repeat the same errors,

she said.

Pannu also revealed that the film’s climax centres on children, which she believes reinforces that idea of hope. Our climax was entirely based on kids because that’s where our hope lies. That’s why we felt a U/A certificate would have helped the people for whom the film was actually made to watch it,

she said.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Assi is a courtroom drama produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Sinha under the banners of Benaras Mediaworks and T-Series Films. The film was released in theatres on February 20, 2026, and received positive reviews from critics, though it did not perform strongly at the box office.