“Masaan” is full of small details – the dialect that the characters speak and what they eat and how they behave are all part of the tapestry. Ghaywan doesn’t overstate his points, and even though the resolution he finds for his characters is predictable, their journey is interesting enough to make up for a cliched ending.

Even though the word ‘great’ is easily misused while chronicling a person or an achievement, it really can’t be employed enough to describe what Masaan feels like. You need to watch this film to realize there’s so much hidden meaning to scenes, situations and words. Yes there are no commercial movie gimmicks, no glamour to startle your senses. But there’s an abundance of artistic passion and emotion here to keep you thinking about life and death, long after the movie is over. It lingers around, like the memory of a lost loved one. That bittersweet combination of happiness and sadness. A perfect mirror to life.

…while it may not be flawless, Masaan is moving and for the duration of the film, it makes you forget everything but the world in which it is set.

Poignant, tender and beautiful, this Cannes winner is a portrait of small-town India…

The quality of the acting, too, is of the highest order, with all the four principal members of the cast ? Sanjay Mishra, Richa Chadha, Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi leaving their imprint on the film with perfectly modulated and sustained underplaying. Masaan is a splendid little gem, an absolute must watch.

Masaan captures every important element of life, right from the joy of young love to the heartache caused by losing a loved one. It is a simple yet beautiful story that features strong characters, remarkable performances and soul-stirring melodies to boot!

Masaan lovingly drawing you into anguish and ache, and leaves you with conflicting emotions. Watching the film is akin to experiencing a good cry – you aren’t fully rid of the sadness, and there’s a sense of emptiness after. It’s not the happy ending you want. But it’s good enough.

Masaan doesn’t strive for effect—it achieves it by degrees. No one stands out, but everyone does an outstanding job.

It has both humour and physical intimacy but unlike most indies it doesn’t flaunt metaphors to seek the eyeballs. It celebrates small joys like the value of kheer and what it means to be the youngest in the family. And yes, it doesn’t blink when it comes to the crunch.

A gutsy debut by Ghaywan, who dives deep into the subject in hand and comes up with a little gem. Sensitive writing by Varun Grover makes it more valuable.

Masaan is not for the urban, educated audience who enjoyed Labour of Love—another brilliant piece of expressions. Masaan is not eclectic. It is to be seen how this film connects to Indian people across economic classes, education or locality.

Masaan is an audacious tale of mistakes, mishaps & redemption in life. The perfect choice of locations (Banares for letting go & Allahabad for confluence), able performances from the cast and the script replete with other symbolic subtleties make it a classic debut for its promising director.

The understated and compelling ‘Masaan’ finds life and hope in the city of corpses.
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and written by Varun Grover, this first-time feature has memorable performances and a sensitively observed account of decay and redemption.