Welcome back to the heartland of India..After Dum lagaake haishaa, Tanu weds Manu returns and Piku, this year , Neeraj Ghaywan's little gem that has already made its noise at the international film circuit reinforces that the size does not matter..its purity in characters and the story and script that actually matters the most."Masaan", literally translated as crematorium is one helluva film that warms your heart and moistens your eyes.
The film has 2 stories that run almost parallel y and then converge at some point of time.Benaras makes a fascinating backdrop for this earthy tale.The film also shows how technology and social networking can transcend caste barriers and also the generation gap issues.
Story 1 is about a young teacher who becomes a victim of a hotel raid when she is found having consensual sex with her boyfriend cum student.The boy commits suicide and the reckless and non moralistic cops resort to black mail to hush the matter under the carpet.The girl's father is thrown into a vortex of despair and frustration.How the father and daughter try coping up with the disturbing turn of events is what this story narrates.There is also a heartwarming tale of a love and hate bond that the father shares with a little orphan kid who helps him with his shop on the banks of the Ganges.Sanjay Mishra is evocative while Riccha Chaddha though restrained doesnot lend sparks of brilliance as she did even in her teeny weeny Ram Leela bit.Another impressive performance in this plot comes from Pankaj Tripathi who plays Richa;s colleague at the railway ticket counter.He is endearing and the kid playing Jhonta is lovable to say the least.
Story 2 is about the first flush of love experienced between a Dom family boy pursuing engineering dreams and an upper caste girl who literally breathes poetry.The romance plays out so beautifully here..Vicky Kaushal and Shwetha Triapthy are arresting finds.He is lanky and conveys so much with just a sheepish shy grin while her eyes twinkle like flash bulbs as she goes on and on about Nida Fazli and Mirza ghalib.Somewhere along this episode, "Tu kisi rail si "and "Mann kasturi" linger for their fragrance of romance and pangs of pain respectively(Mudic contributors Indian Ocean can take a bow).QSQT's Ghazab ka hai din plays out beautifully as the romantic leads here spend some time and say sweet nothings.Infact Shwetha reminded me of Juhi Chawla in all her bubliness and innocence.The story does not have a sweet ending and preaches the phiolosophy that life has to move on in spite of loss of loved one.The supporting cast notably Vicky Kaushal's friends and family are chosen with care and lend solid support.
Its a tad slow and lacks the commercial elements barring the love story but "Masaan" is a film that needs to be savored as it has its heart in the right place.

Witnessed Masaan in theatre today. It is such a wonderful experience watching a movie with intense story(ies) line and parallel screenplay impecaable almost, from a directorial debut. Movies of this kind provide new heights to Indian cinema and set our hopes high. No wonder it received accolades at ‪#‎Cannes‬.