I watched this movie first time in my life in the year 2013. I have always loved the songs of Maachis as a kid but never got a chance to see the movie. However, better late than never and this saying couldn't have been more true than in this case. Maachis is one of my favorite movies on terrorism even including many Hollywood and western movies that I have watched. I always asked myself that why in all these other movies that I have watched they never talk about what makes a terrorist, there is no insight given into the turning of a man's character from a human to a man full of rage who wants to kill other people. Even the recent Hollywood blockbusters like Zero Dark Thirty, Hurt Locker etc are more action movies of FBI agents than anything else. Maachis answers that question so beautifully and passionately. The story doesn't justify the act of terrorism, it doesn't make evil out of the other men, it just brings to surface how a system of injustice brings everyone into it and destroys innocence of people and their lives. There are some plots in the story which makes you feel a lump in your throat, some scenes makes the hair raise on your hand and some just makes you love the poetry of Gulzar, the director, lyricist and writer of the story. The final scene leaves you in confrontation with a hard truth. One of the best movies ever made on terrorism and humanity. I give it 8/10.

I liked this film because apart from the songs (which were excellent) everything was so realistic, almost understated. The film dealt with a very emotional subject in a practical and logical way and brought to screen the misery caused to everyone concerned in this tragic conflict. All the major points were well handled, including references to false "encounters", the guilt of some Hindu friends of the Sikhs, the routine brutality of the police. There was also some balance in the film - not all police were the baddies, some were ordinary family men doing their jobs. Everyone had their frailties, even the hero wasn't a true film Hero, just a man caught up in a conflict not of his makingExcellent, more please

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.

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.