Some films begin with the promise of a gripping night-time mystery and then slowly drift into territory that feels completely disconnected from the world they initially created. Maargan, directed by Leo John Paul, is one such experience for me. It opens with the ambience and intrigue of a proper murder-investigation thriller, only to abandon its strengths midway and wander into a fantasy space that it never truly earns.
A Start That Builds Real Curiosity
The film wastes no time setting its tone. A young woman walking alone at night becomes the unsuspecting victim of a chilling murder – one executed through an unusual injection that burns her body from the inside within moments. The case makes headlines, and this is where our hero enters. A Bombay Police Service officer, he has dealt with a similar case before, and the incident instantly grabs his attention. He travels to take charge, expecting to crack the mystery through solid investigative work.
Once he begins the investigation, the film initially plays by the rules of a grounded thriller. He finds no clues, no false statements, not even the typical misleading hints – except for one situation where he manages to extract a small clue from a roadside CCTV camera. This tiny breakthrough leads him to a young man, whom he first suspects might be the murderer.
But soon, the narrative shifts focus. Instead of confirming guilt or innocence, the hero discovers something far more intriguing: the boy possesses a special ability. And in that moment, the hero realises two things – the boy is not the murderer, and his extraordinary talent might help solve the case.
Up to this point, I genuinely felt the film was on track. The setup, the investigation, the unpredictable twist of a boy with photographic memory – everything functioned well and offered a refreshing take within the genre. I anticipated a thriller that used this special ability as a smart investigative tool.
Where the Film Abruptly Derails
But then comes the moment that breaks the film’s internal logic entirely.
Instead of deepening the thriller element, the makers suddenly announce that the boy can time-travel – a twist that feels abrupt, unnecessary, and completely at odds with the tone established so far. The film, which had been carefully building a grounded investigative world, now turns into a fantasy story without any proper justification or thematic preparation.
This is where my trust in the narrative collapsed. The film doesn’t blend genres; it simply jumps from one to another, leaving the audience unanchored. Once the time-travel concept enters, it becomes increasingly difficult to accept anything that follows. The story loses coherence because the rules of the film’s universe change midway.
Trapped in a Routine Template
Even beyond the tonal confusion, Maargan falls into a predictable template that we have seen numerous times:
- An unsolvable case that only the hero can crack.
- A group of assistants, including the inevitable lady police officer.
- A designated comic-relief character.
- A long flashback for the hero.
All these familiar checkpoints unfold one after another, reducing the sense of urgency and freshness. The “special item” promised to elevate the narrative does not contribute meaningfully, and the film’s message, which could have been its saving grace, also feels ineffective.
By the end, it becomes clear that the film hasn’t committed fully to either genre. It neither functions as a taut crime-investigation thriller nor settles into a convincing fantasy film. Instead, it hovers somewhere in between, resulting in a confused hybrid that does justice to neither side.
A Case of Missed Potential
Maargan had the DNA of a compelling thriller – the unique murder method, the detective’s investigative drive, the boy with a rare ability, and the atmosphere of mystery. With a tighter narrative and a more cohesive genre identity, this could have been a genuinely engaging film.
But by attempting to merge two worlds without fully developing either, the film ends up undermining its own strengths. What begins as a promising mystery unfortunately evolves into a tale that feels directionless.
Final Verdict
Maargan is a film that starts strong but ultimately loses its path. It tries to be too many things at once and ends up being none of them convincingly.
Rating: 1.5/5
