India, Feb. 16 -- Director Anubhav Sinha has helmed both kinds of films - a superstar-led big-budget extravaganza like Ra.One, and a tiny film shouldered by relative newcomers in Tum Bin. Over the last decade of his career, he has carved out a niche directing independent films that tackle social issues. The latest in this series is Assi, which showcases a rape case. Ahead of the film's release, the director spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times about the depiction of rape on screen, the challenges of taking small films to the theatres, and more.

Assi stars Taapsee Pannu and Kani Kusruti in the lead roles, with the former playing a lawyer and the latter a survivor of sexual assault. Talking about the genesis of the film, Anubhav says, "Ang...