Masaan
Across Banaras, four lives seek love, dignity, and escape from caste-bound morality while grief reshapes their possible futures.
Overview
A poignant exploration of love, loss, and the struggle against societal norms in a small town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- lyrical
- poignant
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly praised the film's emotionally affecting social realism, lyrical sense of place, performances, and bold treatment of caste and gender constraints, while some found its script and editing overambitious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film follows four lives whose experiences intersect around Banaras, the Ganges, grief, love, and social stigma.
Deepak's low-caste identity directly affects his romantic prospects and future, while the surrounding community enforces rigid social boundaries.
The Ganges and its cremation grounds recur as locations for crucial encounters, grief, and moments of personal transformation.
Devi's sexual encounter and its aftermath expose how small-town moral codes police female autonomy and punish vulnerability.
Films like Masaan, and why
Court
social realism, class inequality, intimate interlinked lives, and a lyrical sense of place
The Lunchbox
poignant romantic drama, social constraints, and richly observed contemporary Indian life
Amores perros
interwoven narratives, moral pressure, and emotionally devastating realism
Thithi
caste and gender politics, restrained intensity, and independent Indian filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Neeraj Ghaywan
- Release Date
- 2015-07-24
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (216)
Cast
- Richa Chadha
- Sanjay Mishra
- Vicky Kaushal
- Shweta Tripathi Sharma
- Pankaj Tripathi
- Bhagwan Tiwari
- Vineet Kumar
- Bhupesh Singh
- Nikhil Sahni
- Satyakam Anand
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Masaan about?
- Across Banaras, four lives seek love, dignity, and escape from caste-bound morality while grief reshapes their possible futures.
- What is Masaan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Masaan as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Masaan violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Masaan as mild.
- What did critics think of Masaan?
- Critics overwhelmingly praised the film's emotionally affecting social realism, lyrical sense of place, performances, and bold treatment of caste and gender constraints, while some found its script and editing overambitious.
- Which films are like Masaan?
- Films with a similar feel include Court, The Lunchbox, Amores perros, and Thithi.
- How long is Masaan?
- Masaan runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Masaan?
- In United States, Masaan is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
