Maachis (1996)

Maachis (Matches) is a 1996 Indian Hindi film directed by Gulzar and produced by R. V. Pandit. The film stars Om Puri, Tabu, Chandrachur Singh and Jimmy Shergill in the lead roles. The title of the film is used as 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 portrays the circumstances surrounding the rise of the Sikh insurgency in Punjab in the 1980s and traces the transformation of a youth from a boy next door to a dreaded terrorist bent on wreaking vengeance.

Maachis tasted critical and commercial success. Gulzar's direction and the music of Vishal Bhardwaj were strong points. To this day, many songs from the film, particularly "Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale" and "Chhod Aaye Hum Vo Galiyaan" can be heard playing on FM radio or TV channels. Bhardwaj went on to become a movie director and has directed movies such as Maqbool as well as the highly lauded Omkara. "Chhod Aaye Hum" was the first Hindi film song sung by the now famous Indian singer KK.

Maachis is a film about what atrocities can drive an ordinary human to do. It looks back at the Punjab problem and tries to figure out some of the root causes. It also warns that, in the future, there could be many more Punjabs burning and suffering for years.

Synopsis

The film is set in mid-to-late 1980s in the Indian state of Punjab which had been wrecked by a violent insurgency in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the subsequent 1984 Anti-Sikh riots. The story is relayed by a series of flashbacks.

Actors