Maachis 30th anniversary: Gulzar says film reflected truth of extremism

Gulzar’s 'Maachis' has turned 30, and the questions it raised about Punjab’s militancy haven’t faded. The film follows a naive young man, played by Chandrachur Singh, who is drawn into the world of extremism and loses everything in the process. Tabu is the woman he leaves behind, and her longing finds its voice in Lata Mangeshkar’s “Paani Paani Re.”

Marking the anniversary, Gulzar opens up about what the film meant, the politics at its core, and why he feels cinema can tell society’s stories but has no power to change it.

Gulzar on the truth of 'Maachis'

In an interview with Variety India, Gulzar recalled the experience of ‘Maachis’ and said, "It is one of my most important films. I wouldn’t call it a political film. It reflected the truth of those times. Cinema can only go this far and no further. We overestimate the power of cinema to change lives.

But yes, “Maachis” was, I think, more rooted in the politics of its time than my other films. So many lives, so many families get destroyed in the violence of separatism.

“Maachis,” on extremism in Punjab, made a wide impact."

Gulzar on Tabu’s role in 'Maachis'

Speaking about Tabu’s short but memorable part in 'Maachis', Gulzar said, “Like Jaya (Bhaduri), Tabu ushered an era of acting. She is not just unique, she is also very intelligent and sensitive.

I would say she is the best actress I’ve worked with.”

'Maachis' and the political tone of 'Hu Tu Tu'

Asked about 'Hu Tu Tu', the political film he directed after 'Maachis', Gulzar replied, “If I had made the film I originally planned after “Maachis” for producer R. V. Pandit, based on Krishan Chander’s novel, this question of repeating myself wouldn’t have arisen. Even though “Hu Tu Tu” was in the same tone as “Maachis,” I don’t think “Maachis” was as political a film as “Hu Tu Tu.””