Maachis

Maachis was a 1996 Indian film directed by Gulzar, the famed director. Maachis, in Hindi, means a matchbox. As the title of the film, the word is a metaphor that conveys that the youth of any nation are matchsticks that could get ignited due to the deficiencies in the political and policing systems. The film is a sensitive take on terrorism in Punjab during the 1980s, and traces the transformation of a youth from a next-door guy to a dreaded terrorist bent of wreaking vengeance for the wrong meted out to him.

The film tasted both critical and commercial success. Gulzar's direction and the music of Vishal Bhardwaj were strong points. To this day, many numbers from the film, partcularly Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale and Chhod Aaye Hum Wo Galiyan can be often heard playing on FM radio or TV channels. Bhardwaj went on to become a Bollywood director, and has directed classics like Maqbool and Omkara in the recent past.

In more ways than one, Maachis is a film about what atrocities can drive a human to. It is looking back at the Punjab problem, and trying to figure out some of the root causes. It is looking forth and warning the future that there could be many more Punjabs--burning and suffering for years.

Cast

Maachis had a congregation of some of the finest actors in Bollywood, besides a sparkling performance by Chandrachur Singh, a newcomer. The core cast is listed below.

• Om Puri
• Tabu
• Chandrachur Singh
• Kanwaljit
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda
• Raj Zutshi
• Jimmy Shergill

External links

Maachis at IMDb

Maachis