Excerpts from reviews of Masaan
Masaan is imbued with a sense of place and time, poetry and lyricism, and it captures the essence of Banaras, constant-yet-changeable, with felicity and feeling. It also announces the arrival of new talents in its writer and director: Grover’s story is eminently worth telling, and Ghaywan tells it beautifully.
– Shubhra Gupta (Theindianexpress.com)
The 109-minute drama refracts the brutal truths of Indian society – sexual repression, the caste divide, financial hardship, limited mobility – through individual philosophical journeys... Masaan perfectly catches these souls at the mid-way moment between decay and renewal. It all comes together in the beautiful concluding scene, which suggests that sometimes, redemption can begin at a point that is not too far from one’s doorstep.
– Nandini Ramnath (Scroll.in)
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.
– Aniruddha Guha (Thewire.in)
Masaan doesn’t strive for effect—it achieves it by degrees. No one stands out, but everyone does an outstanding job. This could have been a film about gender rights, caste and small-town corruption, but these issues are only acknowledged to the extent that they affect the characters. We’re wrapped in their lives, and like any great film, we’re anxious for the future well-being in the end.
– Uday Bhatia (Livemint.com)
Dripping pain and poetry in equal measure, the film presents intertwined stories of repression, rebellion and repentance set against the funeral pyres of a Varanasi cremation ghat. It is a tale that grows gently on you, leading you by the hand into the inner world of its tormented characters. Richa Chadha inhabits not just the body of Devi Pathak, but her entire soul. The result is as powerful a screen heroine as any we have seen in years. Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi deliver a pair of luminous performances that stay with you long after the film is over. This dazzling debut film is an unmissable gem.
– Saibal Chatterjee (Ndtv.com)