Basic info
Director: Neeraj Ghaywan
Country: India; Year: 2015; Language: Hindi; Runtime: 109 min; Color: Color Producer: Drishyam Films, Phantom Films, Macassar Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, Kanchan Chandnani; Writer: Varun Grover; Cinematographer: Avinash Arun; Editor: Nitin Baid; Composer:Indian Ocean;
Cast: Richa Chadha, Vicky Kaushal, Sanjay Mishra, Shweta Tripathi, Pankaj Tripathi, Bhagwaan Tiwari; Genre: Drama, Romance
Synopsis
Set in present-day Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, the plot of Masaan follows two seemingly separate stories that converge eventually. A young, spirited woman, Devi (played by Richa Chadha), grapples with tragedy and blackmail. A young boy, Deepak (played by Vicky Kaushal), falls in love but the sweet, giddy encounters between him and his girlfriend are shadowed by his caste. Deepak’s father is the Dom Raja of the burning ghats. When Deepak is not in college, he is burning corpses, sweeping ash and helping weeping strangers to split skulls. There’s Devi’s father (played by Sanjay Mishra), a former Sanskrit teacher who becomes bent over with helplessness and shame. And a feisty young boy named Jhonta who, like Devi and Deepak, refuses to let his circumstances define him. The fifth character is Varanasi itself — soaked in history and death, caste and corruption.
Interesting links
Review by Shubhra Gupta in IndianExpress
Review by Anupama Chopra in Hindustan Times
Review by Jay Weissbergin Variety
Review by Deborah Youngin Hollywood Reporter  
Where to watch/buy?
Hotstar Netflix