In today’s day and age, even though we are having open discourses about sexual violence and consent, there is still a lot of stigma and prejudice attached to it. It is so deep-rooted, that even when the person gets up to fight, they are pulled down by the system. This sad reality is what Marzi tries to bring out. Starring Aahana Kumra and Rajeev Khandelwal in the lead roles, the premise keeps you gripped as you try and figure out whom to trust in this game of lies and deceit.
Directed by Anil Senior and written by Radhika Anand, the story follows Sameera Chauhan (Aahana) and Dr Anurag Saraswat (Rajeev) who go out on a simple dinner date, which ends up with Sameera accusing Anurag of raping her. She files a police complaint but doesn’t have enough evidence for them to take action against him. Her arguments start seeming dubious when it is revealed that she has been suffering from depression and has not been taking her medications regularly.
Though it may be hard to pick a side in the beginning, the series shows what a woman coming out and accusing a man of rape goes through. She is looked down upon saying she might have brought it upon herself, she is labelled ‘mentally unstable’ and so on. It also throws light on how the police and the system are so restricted when it comes to dealing with such cases. The ambiguity that comes with every new finding keeps us hooked on to the tale — with our loyalties oscillating between the suave but seemingly suspicious doctor Anurag and the riled up and visibly hurt Sameera.
Aahana steals the show with her performance where you see her crumble and feel her frustration and anger when she is not heard. Rajeev played the confident and sophisticated doctor with a dark past to perfection. I also particularly liked Shivani Tanksale and Pavleen Gujral, who play Sameera’s sister and the female officer who is investigating her case respectively. From dealing with love and guilt in relationships to trying to fight the patriarchal system, these two women and their stories form such important sub-plots to the story. The rest of the cast consisting of Rajeev Siddharth, Vivek Mushran and Suhaas Ahuja also do a great job at keeping us engaged.
All in all, this official remake of the British series Liar will have you at the edge of your seat until the very end. If you haven’t watched it ready, and are a fan of such thrillers, make sure to check this series out on Voot Select!