"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."
Friedrich Nietzsche
In spite of the separate powerful entities we all are, an invisible thread connects us to the extent we cannot even imagine. If our lives are movies then we are definitely the lead actors of it and supporting actors of others.
Masaan is a heart-rending story of Devi and Deepak running parallel.
Set in the Banaras ghats, Deepak belongs to a lower caste whose whole family maintains their livelihood by burning funeral pyres in the ghats of Ganga. Although he is ambitious and a bright student but the circumstances force him to continue with the traditional work.
His life changes when he falls in love with Shalu, a girl from a higher caste. Though Shalu was unaware of the Deepak's background their feelings for each other were purely ornated by the Facebook stalking and Gulzar poems.
Once they shared a passionate kiss under the Peepal tree leaving their faces to blush pink similar to fresh rosebuds. The presence of Shalu urges Deepak to work harder towards his goals.
When everything was going like a fairy tale, one unfortunate night Deepak's life turns drastically into ashes reminiscent of the burnt corpses and shattered dreams.
"Zindagi kya hai anasir mein zahur-e tarteeb. Maut kya hai inhi ajza ka pareshan hona.”
At the same time Devi, daughter of a Sanskrit pandit lands herself in a deadly swamp when she along with her boyfriend, Piyush Agarwal goes to a lodge for experiencing butterflies in the entire body. But the blissful experience abruptly transforms into the horrific act when a badass corp raids the lodge and blackmails them. Fear of defamation chokes the breath of Piyush which in turn deepens the trouble for Devi and his father. Thereafter the whole escape is a story that must be experienced.
Masaan is a story not just about revival and moving on.
It raises its voice against some prevalent yet unheard social issues such as the caste system, hesitation around sexual choices, and child labor. This tale is neither a complete white nor complete black but rather a beautiful amalgamation of beauty with terror, intricacy with simplicity, struggle with miracles, and ashes with the holy water.
Ganga in the whole movie is a silent spectator adorning or breaking lives, giving hope, or washing away the tears.
Masaan is indeed a masterpiece where the "masaan" keeps our hearts warm for as long as we can remember.
"Sitaroon ko aankhon mein mehfuz rakhna,
Badi der tak raat hi raat hogi,
Musaafir hai hum bhi…Musaafir ho tum bhi…
Kisi mod par phir mulaakaat hogi.”Author: Tanya Saraswati
Editor: Rachita Biswas