Anubhav Sinha on how Shah Rukh Khan’s small gestures sparked subtle social change: SRK is single-handedly responsible for this chivalry...

Anubhav Sinha talks about how SRK's chivalry changed the industry

• Anubhav Sinha's film Assi tackles social realities and trauma
• He credits Shah Rukh Khan for inspiring onscreen chivalry
• Assi, starring Taapsee Pannu, releases on February 20

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Over the years, Anubhav Sinha has chosen stories that do more than entertain. Films such as Mulk, Thappad and Bheed have asked uncomfortable questions, nudging audiences to examine prejudice, patriarchy and privilege within their own homes.

His next film, Assi, continues that deeply personal engagement with social realities. The story follows a rape survivor and the lawyer who stands beside her, fighting not just a legal battle but an emotional one.

Speaking ahead of the release, Anubhav Sinha reflected on the quiet but powerful influence of cinema. For him, change does not always arrive through grand speeches; sometimes it appears in the smallest gestures.

He offered an example from his own observations of the industry. He told Hindustan Times, “Before Shah Rukh Khan became the star that he is, I never saw a hero run down the steps to give the lady a hand to climb up. I never saw an actor do that,” he said.

He believes those repeated gestures mattered. “That is such aspirational conduct that now, you see it very often. Now, that’s a change. People are opening doors for women. Shah Rukh Khan is single-handedly responsible for this chivalry,” he reasons.

Anubhav Sinha was speaking about Shah Rukh Khan’s enduring screen persona — romantic, attentive and visibly respectful towards women. He also pointed to Shah Rukh Khan’s decision in 2018 to list his female co-stars first in film credits, a move that quietly challenged hierarchy in an industry long dominated by male stars.

Also Read: Assi Movie Review: In this blistering courtroom drama, Anubhav Sinha forces us to confront the truths we would rather ignore

“So, change is not that difficult an entity. Keep doing the right things. Change happens in so many ways,” adds Anubhav.

Having previously directed Shah Rukh Khan in Ra.One, Anubhav Sinha has seen first-hand how influence works — not always through box-office numbers, but through behaviour that people absorb and replicate.

Assi, starring Taapsee Pannu and Kani Kusruti, will release on 20th February.