2015 · Film
Masaan
Neeraj Ghaywan's debut drama follows two young people in Varanasi, one shamed after a police raid and one from a family of cremation workers, trying to rebuild their lives.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Masaan is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
In Varanasi, two stories run side by side. Devi, a young computer instructor, is caught by police with her boyfriend in a hotel room, and a corrupt inspector uses the incident to extort money from her father, a Sanskrit scholar who runs a small bookshop. Elsewhere in the city, Deepak belongs to a Dom family that has burned bodies at the cremation ghats for generations. He studies civil engineering, hoping for a different future, and falls for Shaalu, a girl from an upper-caste family.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A quiet, under-two-hour drama about grief, caste and small-town morality, for adult viewers who like character-led independent cinema. It is rated A for its themes, including a suicide, blackmail and sexual content.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Masaan, which means crematorium, is the directorial debut of Neeraj Ghaywan from a screenplay by Varun Grover, and the first Hindi film for Vicky Kaushal. It is an Indo-French co-production by Drishyam Films, Phantom Films, Macassar Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, Arte France Cinéma and Pathé, with songs by the band Indian Ocean.
The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prix de l'Avenir. It opened in France on 24 June 2015 and in India on 24 July 2015. Ghaywan won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 63rd National Film Awards and Best Debut Director at the 61st Filmfare Awards. An early streaming release on Hotstar drew controversy after the film was found to have been heavily censored.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Drama, Coming-of-age
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Certificate
- A
- Director
- Neeraj Ghaywan
- Cast
- Richa Chadha, Vicky Kaushal, Sanjay Mishra, Shweta Tripathi, Pankaj Tripathi
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Masaan in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Masaan is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Masaan in Hindi?
- Yes. Masaan is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Masaan suitable for children?
- Masaan has a CBFC A certificate, which means it is restricted to adults aged 18 and above.
- How long is Masaan?
- Masaan runs for 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).