‘The story explained itself’: 10 years on, pyres of ‘Masaan’ still burn in our memory
Ten years ago, a quiet little film emerged from the ghats of Varanasi — far from the glamour of Bollywood, yet rich in soul, purpose and poetry. That film was Masaan, the powerful debut of filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, and it has since etched its name as one of Indian cinema’s most poignant reflections on loss, caste, love and liberation.
Ghaywan, who had once walked the streets of Varanasi as an assistant on Gangs of Wasseypur, knew back then that the city held a story waiting to be told — not the postcard image of sadhus and smoke, but a more intimate portrait of a city straddling its sacred traditions and painful progress. It was this vision of a Varanasi in flux — raw, restless and real — that Masaan brought to life.
From the beginning, casting felt like destiny. Richa Chadha, who had worked with Neeraj on Wasseypur, became the heart of Masaan. Though the film’s original choices — Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao — couldn’t come on board, the roles eventually went to Sanjay Mishra and a then-unknown Vicky Kaushal. What followed were performances that moved audiences and critics alike, their restraint and honesty elevating the film into something quietly unforgettable.
What perhaps remains Masaan's most powerful legacy is its unapologetic rootedness. The film dared to speak about caste — not with slogans, but with lived reality. Ghaywan, who until then had kept his Dalit identity private even from close collaborators, chose to speak openly about it only after the film’s global success. In doing so, he turned a personal revelation into a public act of courage — using his platform to challenge silence and push for better representation of marginalised voices in cinema.
Internationally, Masaan resonated far beyond expectation. Its Bhojpuri dialect, its caste realities, its modest setting — nothing was diluted for global appeal. And yet, at film festivals abroad, foreign audiences responded with tears and standing ovations. “The story explained itself,” Neeraj once said, overcome with emotion when he saw that the pain and beauty of his very Indian story needed no translation.
A decade later, Masaan is more than just a film — it's a milestone. It marked the arrival of a filmmaker determined to fuse European cinematic sensitivity with deeply Indian storytelling. It proved that stories from the margins can move the centre. And it reminded us that grief, longing, and the desire for freedom — whether by the Ganges or across the globe — are universal.
Meanwhile, its lead actor Vicky Kaushal took a moment on social media to honour his debut movie that paved the way to his success in Bollywood. Sharing a post via his Instagram Stories, the Uri and Sanju star looked back fondly at the project that proved to be a major breakthrough in his career. The post, originally shared by Prime Video, featured a montage of memorable scenes from the film, including moments with co-star Richa Chadha. The streaming platform captioned it, "10 saal kisi rail jaise guzar gaye #10YearsOfMasaan." Reposting the video, Vicky simply added, "10 years”.