Maachis
| Maachis | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | Gulzar |
| Written by | Gulzar |
| Produced by | R. V. Pandit |
| Starring | Chandrachur Singh Tabu Om Puri Jimmy Sheirgill |
| Cinematography | Manmohan Singh |
| Edited by | M. Ravi & Sadanand Shetty |
| Music by | Vishal Bhardwaj |
| Distributed by | Eros Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 168 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹20 million |
| Box office | est. ₹63.6 million |
Maachis (transl. Matchsticks) is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language period political thriller film written and directed by Gulzar. The film stars Chandrachur Singh, Om Puri, Tabu, and Jimmy Sheirgill. The film is set against the backdrop of the Sikh insurgency in Punjab during the 1980s. The plot delves into the personal and political turmoil faced by individuals caught in violence and explores themes of state repression, vengeance, and the radicalization of youth.
The movie was released on 25 October 1996. Maachis received critical acclaim for its direction, story, screenplay, dialogue, and music. The film emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing ₹6.19 crore against a production budget of ₹2 crore.
At the 44th National Film Awards, Maachis won 2 awards – Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Actress (Tabu). At the 42nd Filmfare Awards, the film received 10 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Gulzar), Best Actress (Tabu), and Best Supporting Actor (Puri), and won 4 awards, including Best Male Debut (Chandrachur) and R. D. Burman Award (Bhardwaj).