Mohalla Assi

Mohalla Assi is a banned Indian Bollywood satirical film starring Sunny Deol, and directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi.

The film is loosely based on Dr. Kashinath Singh's popular Hindi novel Kashi Ka Assi, a satire on the commercialisation of the pilgrimage city, and fake gurus who lure the foreign tourists. Assi Ghat is a ghat in Varanasi (Banaras) on the banks of Ganges River, and the film is based in a famous and historical 'Mohalla' (locality) by the ghat, on the southern end of Banaras. Also starring Ravi Kishen and Sakshi Tanwar, the film is set in the post-independence period.

Sunny Deol plays the lead role of Sanskrit teacher and an orthodox religious priest (Pundit) while Sakshi Tanwar plays his wife. The story of the film goes through the events in 1990 and 1989 including Ram Janmabhoomi movement and Mandal Commission implementation.

On 30 June 2015, the release of Mohalla Assi was stayed by a Delhi court for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Prior to its release Mohalla Assi leaked online on 11 August 2015.

Dwivedi had previously directed Pinjar (2003), starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpai, and most known for television epic Chanakya.Ameesha Patel was offered the female lead role but turned it down because of financial differences with the film's producer.Sakshi Tanwar was cast as her replacement.