About

‘Benares, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges, reserves a cruel punishment for those who play with moral traditions. Deepak, a young man from a poor neighbourhood, falls hopelessly in love with a young girl from a different caste. Devi, a young student who’s gone off the rails, is tortured by feelings of guilt following the disappearance of her first lover. Devi’s father Pathak, a victim of police corruption, has lost his moral compass because of money, while a young boy, Jhonta, is in search of a family. These characters are all seeking a better future, whilst buffeted between the demands of modern life and an attachment to tradition. And their paths are about to cross…’ Cannes International Film Festival

‘Masaan, the Hindi word for crematorium, is part of the new generation of indie films whose clear intent is to set ablaze a hidebound society’s constrictions on personal liberty. Although the film’s two loving couples are hideously punished for breaking conventions, just like in classic melodramas, here the uplifting ending paves the way for change and modernity.’ Hollywood Reporter