Tra la terra e il cielo

Can a single film give us all so many messages, some so universal that it touches all of us as Human beings?Death is as certain as our birth.All of us of whatever culture or faith we are born or bred in know that basic fact.It does not need a thinker or great education. But a film and its audio visual story telling has such an impact that few film like this one can reveal to you all about living even as One faces death all the time or suddenly at any time unexpected.How like flow of river Ganga which begins as many rivers but merges at a geographical place in India the characters of the film begin far apart from each other.The stage is set all along the river and camera captures it in pain, suffering, will to live on and beauty it shares with those who resides along her banks. The spasm of a growing up youth beyond genders and culture or geography is well captured by first part of the film.Two different approaches to Courtship and eventual beginning of a unit of civilization-The family is revealed.One is daring and experimental walking the talk till its unexpected turn and the Other soft and smooth slowly inter twining relationship which too faces its test.Suddenness of turn of events in both stories shake you up and tests the will power of the protagonists.How they climb the uphill climb challenge that the life suddenly throws against them leaves us with immense faith in the flow of time ,life and ability of the Human beings to live on despite it all.The river along is the perfect analogy that any one can relate it all with.The ghats and life of the most ancient city in the world-Kashi,Benares ,Varanasi is captured with caring camera work.Despite the stage where last rites by Fire are performed as a routine occupation by few of its actors the life of courtship ,education, finding job, friendship between genders and within themselves all blossom in front of you.How friends are add ons to the family helping one in many ways during all times is what we all can relate to.How one has to walk out of it all as life moves on too we all know.Barriers of age,culture,ethos,caste and economic difficulties are multiplied by by gross inhuman injustice of corruption and exploitation from those who are our protectors.How in our utopia we all dream of fair-play justice, freedom to be oneself and power to explore all aspects of life as we want!The central characters have acted so well with such finis in direction of each frames and scenes that we all feel the ups and downs in their lives as if our own for 109 minutes we share with them till screen is lit.What else is life but certainty of death looming large silently unseen over it.Still we all live ,enjoy its each moment,and have ability to heal the wounds and learn to live on as a river does.Film will reinforce a belief that Life will help you ,the world will conspire to help you if you help yourself and continue the journey called Life.Walk On despite it all..

Masaan is a story set in real Benaras which is better known as Kashi. Why did I mention real Benaras? This film makes you meet the other side of Kashi which is more active in the night than the day, the cremation Ghats where the dead bodies are burnt as per Hindu rituals. The cremation Ghats of Kashi has been mostly portrayed in films and serials as a mystic place but here the director, a débutant Neeraj Ghyawan and co-writer Varun Grover portrays the cremation Ghats as a usual business place where the bodies are burnt after dying. But, the film has a hidden treasure beyond the burning of the bodies in the cremation ghats. It's the burning of people griefs and the courage to let go their guilt to celebrate a new life.

The urge of arriving in life is portrayed by each central character of the film – Richa Chadha as Devi, Sanjay Mishra as Devi's father and Vicky Kaushal as Deepak. While Devi wants to get out of the narrow mindedness of the city and attain more liberty in the form of experiencing love and pleasure, the other character Deepak wants to break his shackles of being a pyre burning lower caste youth of becoming a civil engineer and dreams of marrying his upper caster girlfriend.

Sanjay Mishra runs a small shop at the cremation ghat and is trying to rejuvenate the cold relationship with his daughter and in order to protect her from a scandal; he breaches his own moral principles when he forces a child who works in his shop to take part in the dangerous game of collecting coins from the Ganges. The story brings twist in the each character's lives when they are forced to do a soul searching. Their soul searching brings dark moments in the film when you feel sad about their lives. But wait, there is light after the dawn and no grief is permanent. The films at the end leaves you with a message that Masaan is not only about burning the physical bodies but also about letting go your grief and making your soul guilt free.

The film is beautifully written with a strong message and a good débutant director attempt towards the serious sensible storytelling cinema. The music by Indian Ocean gels with the characters lives and the city's backdrop. The lyrics and music of the songs 'Tu Kisi Rail si gujarti hai' based on Dushyant Kumar's poetry and Man Kasturi re' are simply magical and has lifetime music value. All credits to the Director Neeraj Ghyawan who has been trained under Anurag Kashyap and the co-writer Varun Grover for such a beautiful story. Both the seasoned and the débutant actors have worked hard on their characters and that is evident from their acting.

I want to end this review for Masaan with these few lines in Hindi.. Jo Man ko Chu Jaye Use khubsurat ahsas kehte hai, Jo Atma ko Chu Jaye Use Masaan Kehte hai !

M A S A A N What a satisfyingly great piece of filmmaking.

Super amazing performances by Shweta Tripathi​, Sanjay Mishra, Richa Chadda​ and the newcomer Vicky Kaushal. Neeraj Ghaywan seems to be a very sorted-in-mind kind of a person to be able to make such a sublime film. The cinematography is spotlessly inspiring and to be put simply 'PERFECT'.

It is difficult to believe that we have such fimmakers making such films in India with such good performances by such good actors!

Shweta Tripathi​ is adorably cute and you just to keep looking at her. Vicky Kaushal has the 'boy-next-door' believability and he portrayed his character full of romance initially and angst later with such subtly and smoothness that from the first time you see him, you believe him. He needed some one like Shweta to complement his performance. Actually both of them have complimented each other so perfectly in the film that now I can't imagine any other actors doing their roles.

Richa Chadda plays 'Devi' and her character is so interesting to watch from the very first scene. Her's is a character which cannot be described easily. She lives in a small town, belonging to a rather seemingly conservative family where there is only her father played awesome-awesome-awesome Sanjay Mishra who is a priest-scholar. Devi is an educated young woman who is exploring her sexuality when she gets caught. Rest of the film is about the way she deals this matter with her father, everyone else and herself. Their is a guilt of sorts in her mind that she needs to deal with. She loves her father but their is something in their past that bothers her perhaps. Hers is a very pragmatic character who probably feels bogged down by the small town mentality and sensibilities of the small town that she lives in. Don't want to divulge much, you have to watch the film to try to understand her character.

Sanjay Mishra ji is simply put awesome. He 'acts' so effortlessly that I can't even call him an actor. Cos he just doesn't seem to be acting. He just becomes the character here. And he a delight to watch.

I need to congratulate the casting director of the film for a perfect magical cast. Even actors casted for Deepak's family are perfect and each actor was realistically believable.

Cinematography by Avinash Arun is just awesome. I loved the way he has lit the film. There is no extra, unnecessary lighting which gives the film a realistic look. I loved the shots which would be perhaps termed as under-lit in conventional mindsets. Cinematography was just what it was supposed to be. A great tool to visualize the director's thoughts and it did it wonderfully.

Editing by Nitin Baid was spot on. There is not a single moment in film where the film lags. Its cut crisply yet there is 'thairaav' where required.

Music was like cherries on the cake. Totally sweet! Totally delicious!

'Masaan' is a film that should, would inspire Indian filmmakers to do- away with all the extra glam-sham quotients of the typical Bollywood films. Films are all about story telling and this film does it perfectly. It is based in a very small town where there is nothing over-the-top in any manner. Real locations have been used and they look superb.

The film is full of metaphors and it makes you think. But maybe there isn't much to think, It can be a bit of an abstract film which also works if it doesn't bore you. This film doesn't bore you!

It really engages you!

Definitely worth a watch!

My rating: 8.5/10

I don't have to explain why you should watch this movie.

There are so many aspect of this movie which will touch you. Reality, true cinematography, story acting.

People from Banaras, Allahabad, UP will feel more touched due to so many reality scene shot on true spots.

For some people it may be a little sad and heart touching movie, but rest assure, it will leave a mark in your memories.

Perfect and right actors choose, like super Sanjay Mishra, Richa Chadda etc. To really enjoy this movie, watch it undisturbed, end to end, without chit chat, I am saying this because you need to connect to the move and very light emotional plots, which you will miss in small chit chat.

‎Masaan‬ means a place, where dead bodies are cremated. If you can stand the sight of actual dead bodies being burnt, right after a cute scene of an excited 21 year old guy, whose Facebook friend request has been accepted by his crush; then yes, definitely watch this one.

Its a dark, complex, hard hitting movie, which is set across the enchanting Banaras and the majestic Ganges; revolving around the life of simple human beings.

'Man kastoori re' by Indian Ocean, can be the sole reason for a music lover to buy a movie ticket. At Cannes, this movie by debut director Neeraj Ghaywan won 2 awards; and it is said that very few Asian movies have received 5 minutes of standing ovation during its screening.

The movie has flaws (the absence of that scent of regional tone in the dialogues was the most disappointing part), but the mindblowing performance by Sanjay Mishra & the strong, heavyweight performance from Richa Chadda will make it up.

If you support such good cinema, and want more 'daring' film-makers, then don't miss it.