#Masaan movie review

Recently released Bollywood movie “#Masaan” highly appreciated in ‘Cannes Film Festival’ for its cinematography, symbols, dialogues, acting and storytelling. But, I’m sure most of you haven’t even heard the name of the movie. It was released in last July.

Souls are said to be liberated in Kashi, and #Masaan(Smashan). In this way title is symbolic as well as significant. It captures the unique character of a town-Allahabad which has been wrestling with life and death for centuries. Director has presented the place as it is, its beauty and ugliness. #Masaan a desolate place follows two heart breaking tales. One is of Devi whose life condemned after caught in the act(in Hotel With ‘Piyush’). The second plot is of a lower caste boy Deepak, Who falls in love with ‘Shalu’ at first-sight. There are many conflicting elements: the mendacity of the “Pandas” and “Doms”- the men and the boy who pile up and burnt the bodies near Ganga Ghat, And younger generations trying to move out of the age old construction of caste, class, gender and sex.

Is life itself an eternal Trap?

A motherless girl Devi Pathak attracted to a boy and loves him, but soon she lost her in front of her eyes. And she has deep guilt that because of her he has committed suicide. Even her job at Railway can be said her temporary stop.

Vidhyadhar Pathak Father of Devi was Pandit, Vidwan and wise man and give advises to people who comes to him, but he himself was confused how to react when Devi Caught with #piyush in first sexual experience and threatened by greedy cop.

Engineering student Deepak wants to free out from his caste and the work has been done by his people. He falls in love with high class and caste girl Shalu, who loves to recites Hindi, Urdu lines which speak to him even if he is unaware of their history….Shalu know that her Family never allows them to get married. Will they able to adjust with themselves?  It remains question till interval. But shalu loves him all heartedly thus she says

“they will never approved of you”

“they are struck in the past within their old fashioned ideas”

“But I’m with you..” here we find agony of youth.

Even he could not escape from the trap of life as life brought him…”what will be your mental state when you are given a body to burn which is of a girl whom you love?”

Varun Grovers script gives chance and he used technology, as to love and log in these facebook –friends-requests.  Shalu and Deepak came together with the help of an online social network. A computer coaching center connects Devi and Piyush.

At the heart of the film there is conflict between what has always been, and what can be. No one can see the future, but it is there. Stretching right in front of Devi and dealing with Deepak, Which make #Masaan a film about hope and redemption.  This underlined by lyrics

“Tu kisi rail si gujarti hai, mai kisi pul ki tarah thartharata hu”

Is deeply philosophical, sensual, and spiritual at the same time.  At the end Piyush internalized that ‘the body dies but soul lives forever.’

A question which always confusing young as well as elders unsolved mystery that why adult falls in love? The film has given the answer indirectly.

The film depicts that a man living in home, community, and society and surrounding, not always happy with those things. And that need lead him/her to fill that need to love. Devi says to her Father “mai yaha se nikal jana chahti hu, ghar bhi chhota soch hi”…it is not only the emotional sentence but the expression of painful feelings. All these  creates emptiness, and that emptiness makes a person restless, and one who tries to get out from it will obviously turn to love.