Sneak
Peak
Maazii,
which
means
the
past,
shows
extraordinarily
talented
actor
Pankaj
Tripathi
narrating
to
a
dumbfounded
cop
his
adventures
at
a
home
that
the
chronic
criminal
has
just
robbed.
The
disconcerting
prelude
of
this
probing
piercing
pulsating
study
of
crime
and
atonement
is
among
the
best
opening
sequences
I
have
seen
in
recent
times.
In
a
very
matter-of-fact
tone
Tripathi
tells
the
officer
how
he
raped
the
wife
and
killed
the
matriarch
of
the
family.
And
then
before
we
can
ingest
the
infinite
immorality
of
the
goon's
proclamations,
Tripathi
kills
all
the
cops
and
flees.
Screenplay
First
time
director
Jaideep
Chopra
manages
to
keep
the
bloodshed
and
bullets
on
an
even
footing.
Even
when
characters
stumble
and
collapse
under
the
weight
of
their
immorality,
the
narrative
is
never
caught
hobbling
on
one
foot.
Though
the
happy
finale
seems
a
bit
of
a
go-home-happy
concession,
till
the
very
end
the
sharply
wound
up
tightly
structured
screenplay
(written
by
Shirish
Sharma
and
Sumeet
Nijhawan,
the
latter
also
plays
the
film's
lead)
keeps
many
steps
ahead
of
us,
leading
us
open
mouthed
through
a
labyrinth
of
crime
and
retribution.
Uniquely
the
film
first
introduces
the
bad
guys.
Then
we
meet
the
hero,
a
monk
like
florist
Tarun
(Sumeet
Nijhawan)
with
a
vivacious
wife
(television
actress
Mona
Vasu,
adequately
cast)
and
a
cute
daughter.
Even
though
we
know
the
idyllic
family
would
soon
see
rough
days,
there
is
surprising
skill
evident
in
the
way
the
screenplay
creates
a
collage
of
crises
in
this
nuclear
family.
The
narration
is
fitful
and
filled
with
events
and
incidents
right
till
the
end.
But
the
wheels
of
the
narration
never
get
jammed
with
over
activity.
The
scenes
are
written
deftly.
In
the
sequences
suggesting
gut-wrenching
violence
the
director
allows
the
characters
space
to
build
the
intrinsic
tension
without
having
to
worry
about
where
the
next
'cut'
would
truncate
the
momentum
of
their
emotional
graph.
The
in-sync
sound
is
remarkably
sturdy
and
unwavering
in
its
determination
to
catch
the
characters'
inner
voice
as
they
grapple
with
the
complex
morality
of
their
existence.
Performances
There
are
no
larger-than-strife
heroes
in
Maazii.
The
one
hero
that
we
take
away
with
us
is
Tarun,
who
is
grappling
with
the
demons
of
his
past
by
dodging
the
violence
that
hits
him
in
the
present.
It's
a
complex
role,
which
newbie
Sumit
Nijhawan
plays
with
stoicism
and
smothered
anger.
Just
how
much
of
this
dispassionate
implosiveness
is
attributable
to
the
actor's
inexperience
we
do
not
know.
It
works
fine
for
the
character
as
he
moves
from
a
life
of
blissful
stress
free
idyllism
to
a
stunning
finale
that
takes
him
through
the
cluttered
bylanes
of
Meerut
(in
Uttar
Pradesh)
in
search
of
a
missing
loved
one.
The
protagonist's
journey
is
undertaken
in
the
spirit
of
a
reversed
pilgrimage.
The
sins
that
we
presumed
were
washed
away
in
a
past
phase
revisit
Tarun
and
scoff
at
his
genteel
existence.
He
must
move
without
genteel
grace
from
his
working
class
sobriety
to
streetwise
violence.
Nijhawan
gets
some
unflinching
support
from
actors
of
impeccable
ability,
notably
Pankaj
Tripathi
and
Mohd
Zeeshan
Ayub.
Last
seen
as
Dhanush's
best
friend
in
Raanjhanaa,
Zeeshan
makes
an
arresting
appearance
as
a
sharp-shooter
in
the
second
half.
And
Manish
Choudhary's
cop
act
is
again
supported
by
credible
dialogues.
Everyone
gets
clever
and
sensible
lines
to
speak
in
this
crime
tale.
Cinematography
Chopra
makes
vivid
use
of
various
locations.
The
hill
station
at
the
start
with
its
postcard-perfect
topography
almost
mocks
the
lies,
uncertainties
and
the
violent
past
behind
the
protagonist's
seemingly
tranquil
life.
And
the
backwater
crime
towns
are
captured
in
their
bare
essentials.
Naked
and
exposed.
The
sound
design
and
the
fluent
and
virile
cinematography
(Surjodeep
Ghosh)
bolster
the
ballsy
script,
whipping
up
a
kind
of
excitement
that
is
raw
and
earthy
and
yet
very
stylish.
Verdict
You
cannot
take
your
eyes
off
the
goings
on
in
Maazii.
It
is
one
of
the
most
watchable
films
of
the
year
which
comes
to
us
without
the
loud
recommendation
of
stars
promoting
their
products
like
detergent
soaps.
I'd
call
Maazii
the
shocking
surprise
of
the
season.
The
lather
here
is
legitimate.
You
cannot
miss
this
one.
(IANS
Review)