Marzi, starring Rajeev Khandelwal and Aahana Kumra, is streaming on Voot Select.
A rape case. One victim. One accused. Who is guilty? Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? Voot Select’s original web series Marzi, starring Rajeev Khandelwal and Aahana Kumra, is a gripping thriller that leaves you with questions after each episode.
Dr Anurag’s (Khandelwal) dinner date with school teacher Sameera (Kumra) leads to him being accused of rape. Details mentioned by Sameera start getting murkier since she is recovering from depression after her parents’ death and has not been taking her medication.
Marzi is owned by Aahana Kumra Kumra and Rajeev Khandelwal, who with their compelling performances draw you to their side of the story. At times, you feel for Sameera for being violated by a man and want justice for her. Then, there are times when Anurag appears to be an innocent man being framed for a crime he never committed. Other characters played by able actors like Shivani Tanksale, Rajeev Siddharth, Vivek Mushran and Suhaas Ahuja too have their dark secrets, and everyone appears to be hiding something or the other.
Shivani Tanksale in a still from Voot Select’s Marzi.
With every reveal during the police investigation, if one question gets answered, there are new ones which pop up. Marzi has mentions of #MeToo movement. It also takes a closer look at problems a rape victim goes through during medical examination and police investigation.
The setting of the web series is Shimla, but you get to see little of the scenic mountains. Most of the action happens inside the confined walls of either a hospital, a school or in their house. The background music gets jarring at times, making it difficult to hear the dialogues.
A few niggles aside, kudos to writer Radhika Anand and director Anil Senior for a tightly knit screenplay.