Assi vs Mardaani 3: The grammar of rage in the era of hypermasculine cinema | Bollywood News
To speak of contemporary cinema is, by now, to state the obvious. Hypermasculinity has become its native tongue; vengeance its most fluent expression. The first quarter of 2026 has drawn to a close, and if numbers are taken as the sole measure, an argument parochial in its own right, two titles stand unchallenged: Border 2 and Dhurandhar: The Revenge. They differ in detail, but share a deeper grammar. The iconography persists: bloody, bearded men, armed with xenophobia. And yet, there emerged two films that chose another direction. Again, distinct in method, but allied in intent, they turned their gaze towards women’s agency in a system rigged by patriarchy. One, Mardaani 3, a franchise extension backed by the industry’s most formidable machinery, anchored by Rani Mukerji, directed by Abhiraj Minawala. The other, Assi, saw Anubhav Sinha reunite with his frequent collaborators, Taapsee Pannu and screenwriter Gaurav Solanki, shaping a narrative that moves within the contours of a courtroom drama, though it resists easy classification. No room for restraint At first inspection, the two films appear to …
