Masaan (movie) — a liberating one

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நான் போட்ட விடை ஒன்று

நீ போட்ட விடை ஒன்று

வேறு ஒருவர் போட்ட

விடைக்கோ கணக்கானது

Since I am little bit chary about the histrionics of the 3 Khans, I try to stay away from Hindi movies, unless, there is a strong recommendation from someone. This movie has been rankling in my mind for some time.

Two years back, while travelling with Sri Jataayu at Kasi, he was referring about this Hindi movie that got released in 2015. Not only the timing but the place was also important. At that time, we were at Manikarnika Ghat watching a corpse getting liberated. It was a poignant moment and further enhanced by the story of the movie.

The movie is about two lovers, who loses their corresponding counter parts and eventually, their lives get inter-twined. A typical copy-book ending was the only criticism that I could place. Otherwise, the narrative was super good. In one way, we all undergo such trials & tribulations at some point in our life. The most important thing is like the ever-running Mother Ganga, the grace of God continue to guide in all walks of life. That is the key takeaway for me from this movie — Hope

Many Kudos to the main players for enacting this drama in a beautiful manner — Director, actors, camera crew for capturing the vast expanse of the great river, the beautiful background score and a smart story line. Both the leading actresses steals our heart — one with the long drawn poker face and the other with a beatific smile. Vicky Kaushal emoted so beautifully. In one particular scene, he brought in different type of emotions at one go.

Having been brought up in a perennially water starved city like Chennai, hearing a phrase “जिस देश में गंगा बहती है ( In the country where Ganga Flows) long back , helped me to understand the importance of Mother Ganga at a very impressionable image.

Yes, I believe the hero/heroine of this movie is “Mother Ganga” and she was suitably supported by Harishchandra Ghat and other humanly actors.

Moreover, Kasi is also known as Bhagawan Siva’s Rudra Bhoomi (Masaan). In the movie, The word “Masaan” is not invoked in a negative or pejorative sense. It is used in the sense of liberation, both in letter as well as in spirit to all the players involved, including the viewer.

Such movies help us to view the life in a larger canvas and easily present our Indian philosophy to the viewers. Strokes were made already on the canvas and all we must do is to play the roles with an air of detachment & surrender. Do we have any other option?

Still Ganga Maiyaa comes in my dreams:

Whatever I’ve started, I’ll finish

But the accounts are someone’s else headache,

Keep the reward, whatever I do is an offering to the self,

Wherever I go, my only burden is lightness of step.

Jai Ganga Maiyaa!