Taapsee Pannu-Anubhav Sinha's film Assi's hightest-paid crew member is not an actor or the director. Check out who it is

Anubhav Sinha's investigative thriller Assi, featuring Taapsee Pannu, is set to release in theatres on February 20, 2026.

Just three days ago, a mysterious film titled Assi was announced on social media. The poster, which did not mention either the director or the cast, sparked widespread curiosity. Now, with the release of the film’s motion poster, it is clear that the project is directed by Anubhav Sinha and stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead role. However, neither Anubhav nor Taapsee is the highest-paid crew member on the film.

Taapsee Pannu's upcoming film Assi's motion poster.

Motion poster of Taapsee Pannu's film, Assi

On Friday, the makers of Assi shared an intriguing motion poster. It shows a girl running away from a group of three boys, alongside Taapsee Pannu dressed as a lawyer with her face covered in blood. The text on the poster reads, “Assi. Uss raat woh ghar nahi pahunchi (that night she didn’t reach home).” This was followed by the announcement of the film’s full cast, which includes Kani Kusruti, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Revathy, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Supriya Pathak Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and others in key roles.

Highest-paid crew member of Assi

Despite such a stellar line-up, the highest-paid crew member on the film is its writer. On January 21, the makers shared another poster declaring, “Believe it or not, the highest-paid crew member on this film is the writer.” While the writer’s name has not been officially announced yet, the film is said to be written by Gaurav Solanki, best known for Article 15 and the Amazon Prime Video series Tandav.

Writer of the film is highest paid among the crew.

About Assi

Helmed by Anubhav Sinha, the film is a relentless investigative thriller that unfolds through an intense, power-packed courtroom drama. It marks Taapsee and Anubhav’s third collaboration after Mulk and Thappad. The trailer has been attached to Border 2 in theatres. Presented by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series, Assi is a Benaras Mediaworks production produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Anubhav Sinha. The film is set to release in theatres worldwide on February 20, 2026.