Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Marzi Web Series Review: Rajeev Khandelwal And Aahana Kumra's Show Is A Fresh Take On #MeToo
I truly enjoyed how the makers have tried to include the meaning of consent in the first episode and followed through. Marzi will keep you hooked with an entertaining plot
Available on: Voot Select
Duration: 6 episodes/ 40 minutes
Language: Hindi
Story: 30-year-old, Sameera goes on a date with her sister's colleague Anurag and the night changes their lives forever. When she tells the truth about being raped by him, society dismisses the claim because Anurag is a respectable doctor, and the lack of evidence makes it hard for her to prove it by law. The truth is tested and lies are revealed when both have completely different versions of the night.
Review: Marzi is an official remake of the UK based show Liar. Rajeev Khandelwal and Aahana Kumra starring thriller has a fresh take on Me too movement in India. While it fully supports the women in the story, the makers do not divert from the plot and the true concept of the thriller.
In the first episode, we find out Sameera has recently broken up with her boyfriend, has a history of depression, is a secondary school teacher and her sister worries about her not getting married. Dr Anurag, on the other hand, lost his wife to suicide, is a single parent and is well respected by his colleagues. After their first date, they both end up at her place and Sameera wakes up with the notion that Anurag had rapped her last night.
I truly enjoyed how the makers have tried to include the meaning of consent in the first episode and followed through. One of the episodes has Aahana asking a man, "Na bolna kafi nahi hota kya? reason dena zaruri hai?" (Is a simple no not enough? why do I have to explain myself?). The show truly explains consent, 'A no is no, even if it is reasoned, pestered or drugged into a silence'.
The show follows Sameera as she tries to prove that what she feels and knows is the truth. Anurag too tries his best to prove his innocence. The dramatic changes that come with the next morning, and after each episode, are enough to keep you hooked. As for the screenplay and acting, the makers have kept it simple, trying not to overpower an already entertaining script.
Marzi follows Liar, bit by bit, from scenes to direction, which works in the show's favour. We get to see the same story in a small town setting in India and how the same scenario would play out in our society. The makers nail down the little changes of how neighbours, bystanders, medical staff and the cops would react to the situation.
In some episodes, the subtle presence of Me Too takes over the tone of the show, but the antagonist's presence brings the story back to the thriller genre. The women in the story are empowered but thankfully it neither becomes their advantage nor disadvantage, and the story remains neutral.
While the show is entertaining and you won't be able to see where it is heading till the end. It left me hoping for something more in terms of acting and dramatic representation.
