Maachis

Set post 1984, when the "tree had fallen and the earth had shook", resulting in the lynchings of thousands of innocent Sikhs and the subsequent thirst for revenge against the complicit policemen, this is realistic, raw and brilliantly acted.

The dialogues are hard hitting. I remember that I could not watch this 24 years ago, as it had been rated A, fit only for adults because of some lines that compare and criticise Gandhian means of getting independence with the more revolutionary means.

The acting is stunning, with Tabu and Om Puri being the standout performers. The songs have become classic over the last quarter of a century. There is only one criticism. The other side , the police / law makers' side is never shown.

Highly recommended. It is a very brave film. Meant for lovers of world class Indian cinema. _Streaming on Amazon Prime_

Made on the pathetic political situation in Punjab state of India, this is an excellent movie to watch. Though hampered by Sensor boards narrowmindedness, it is an almost cruel depiction of the reality of Punjab.

This movie is gulzar's most personal film till date. It depicts the terrorism in punjab after Mrs.Indira Gandhi's assassination. Chandrachur singh gives a fantastic performance as a young man who is forced to join a terrorist group run by kulbushan kharbanda and om puri. Its hard to believe that this was the first film of chandrachur singh. Tabu gives a performance which changed her career. She got a national award for this film. Om puri, raj zutshi, jimmy shergill and kulbushan kharbanda give superb performances in the supporting cast. The screenplay/story/dialogues are written by gulzar. As with most gulzar's films , maachis too has story told in form of flashbacks. The script is very engrossing and does not let the viewer move till the end. This movie was banned in some places in punjab & kashmir. It was also send for a re-censor. A cinema hall strike in january 1997 and good publicity of songs meant that this became india's second biggest word-of-mouth hit. This record was only recently beaten by "Satya". The first one being "Sholay". Gulzar won filmfare award for Best story and Best dialogues. Gulzar also won a national award for the most popular film of the year. This is a must see movie. Like most of gulzar's film this is a CLASSIC.

I was born in India, but have been in the United States for the last 15 years or so, I am 26 years old. This movie is excellent in helping you understand the political situations that exist in India. Even as a young kid, I remember situations like this and this movie does a great job depicting them. I just wish the Indian boards would view this as an artistic point of view and stop the censorship. Although, sometimes they cannot be blamed, because the people tend to follow the indian cinema more than common sense.

Maachis (matches) is one of the most realistic Hindi film I have seen and I must say the film is engrossing from the very first frame. Gulzar saab is one of the greatest filmmakers of his time and his artistic ability are not to be doubted here as well. The way he has handled most of the scenes in this film is really mind blowing. Maachis is one of the few films where the narrative is of secondary importance while the performances of the actors are the primary focus. I never liked Tabu until I saw Maachis and I was assured that this girl is not just merely an eye candy in films, she was really irritating in Sajaan Chale Sasural. Chandrachur Singh has given his career best performance as Kripal Singh before sinking into oblivion. Jimmy Shergill was good. Om Puri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda are excellent. Raj Zutsi was also good. Some scenes like the brutality of the policemen who use the anti- Sikh insurgency only as an excuse to beat innocent people up really shock you. The climax is explosive and leaves you to ponder on the aftermath of the 1984 anti-Sikh insurgency. A brilliant movie with wonderful performances and a strong story. A must watch!