Actor Taapsee Pannu believes socially driven and unconventional films are slowly disappearing from mainstream cinema. Ahead of the release of her upcoming film Assi, the actor said such stories are struggling to find space not only in theatres but also on OTT platforms.
Assi, set to release in theatres on February 20, marks Taapsee’s third collaboration with director Anubhav Sinha after Mulk and Thappad. In the social drama, she plays a lawyer fighting a brutal rape case and seeking justice for the survivor.
Taapsee said films like Assi do not fit the typical commercial template followed by the industry. According to her, the assumption that unconventional cinema will automatically find a home on streaming platforms is also incorrect.
She noted that OTT platforms prefer films that already perform well at the box office. Their focus, she explained, is to bring mass theatrical audiences onto their platforms rather than acquire smaller, issue-based films.
The actor also urged viewers to support meaningful cinema by watching it in theatres. She said audiences often complain about the lack of rooted stories but rarely step out to watch them on the big screen. Simply waiting for an OTT release, she added, does not help such films survive.
Taapsee stressed that word-of-mouth and theatre footfall are crucial for socially relevant films, warning that without audience backing, this category of cinema could fade away.