Dev Alok The beauty of this movie is that it is a tragedy and it is all too real. I read reviews from some of the western viewers who found the concept of police taking money unrealistic. Welcome to India where a girl having sex before marriage is considered worse than crime. Things are changing in India but they haven't all changed so it is real. There are some powerful performances from Richa Chadha (Devi), Sanjay Mishra (Devi's father), Vicky Kaushal (Deepak) and above all Shweta Tripathi (Shalu). I am going to start with Shalu. She is a college girl who loves poetry (Shayari) and falls for this boy who she doesn't know very well. She enjoys his physical touch and his company and that is portrayed so well by her. You could see her as that innocent girl next door. She only has a relatively small role in the movie but she does shine.Deepak is young boy who is from a poor family and he is about to complete his bachelors in civil engineering. He has a bright future in front of him but he does carry his family background as a baggage on his shoulders. He falls in love and deeply cares about this girl but he is not sure if he can get her even though she loves him dearly. He does lose her and he portrays the grief astoundingly. You feel bad when he is crying and that is hallmark of good acting. Vicky has that effortless way of selling his character.Devi is another character who you feel really bad about. She falls in love with a boy and decides to make love to her. This act is caught by police and the boy commits suicide and she is told that she has committed a crime. She is not so sure that she has done anything wrong but the society including her father thinks otherwise. She feels trapped and wants to break free but this is not easy in this male dominated society. You root for her and movie stops at the right juncture.Last character I was touched by was Mr. Pathak who is Devi's father. He is exploited by local authorities who are threatening to ruin his daughter. He knows that his daughter hasn't committed any crime but he finds himself too weak to really stand up for her. Instead he tries to cover for her the best he can. He loves his daughter but finds himself somewhat powerless and meekly gets exploited. Sanjay Mishra portrays the helplessness so well.Supporting characters besides the above four were also real. I watched this movie because its writer is Varun Grover who I have started to admire after watching some of his stand up routines. I do see this movie and say to myself that Hindi movies do indeed have a future. There is life beyond multi crore Khan movies. I highly recommend this movie if you don't mind a tragedy. It is not going to be a song and dance routine but is a real depiction of life in many circles.

MizNat this movie had something new to offer, that's very rare in Bollywood movie plots. every character in this film was well developed and created. the actors did pretty great job as their acting was very convincing. the story was written in such a manner that it is hard to predict where it is leading to. the movie also offers beautiful shots of Varanasi. there are four major characters in this film. a girl who is guilt ridden after trying to have a sex with her boyfriend but ending in a tragedy. a father who finds different ways to earn money to pay a corrupt cop and a guy who falls in love with a girl from higher caste.this is just the base of the story, how it progresses from here is what makes the journey wonderful. the use of realism in the plot is really well written. its kinda sad, this movie is listed one of the underrated films of Bollywood. its a great movie which explores the story without using any clichés, as it is heavily dependent on realism.thanks for reading. :)

akhil-krishnareddy Love and loss is a concept that is there in loads of Hindi films but this film can easily be the best of them. Fly away solo / Masaan is a independent film with four interlaced plots that talk about various themes - one about Devi and the predicament she falls in with her boy friend's suicide when police interrupts them during sex and the other about Deepak , whose ancestral occupation is corpse burning , falls in love with a high caste girl Shaalu in college without revealing his identity. The rest two is about Devi's father who cripples between his love for Devi and corruption and a child's yearning for family and life. There is a scene in the film where Devi is rudely questioned by her boss in front of few people and she replies saying "Jo Bhi Kiya Hum Do Ne Milke Kiya" and he says "Par Mara To Vo Akela". This is a small example of all the beautiful writing in the film that is simple, pale and melancholy on the top but deep down has a lot to ponder on.Other than LOVE the film also talks about other themes ranging from the society's perspective on sex, corruption, coming out of the ancestral occupations , men and women aspiring for a better life, caste issues as a barrier for love, toll that death takes on a person and the preciousness of life.In an industry that's synonymous to gloss and glamor, Masaan is an eye opener. The film is set in Banaras and believe me the place is also a character in the film. The film does have its weak points. It's pacing is very slow and depressing but you hook to the film with those magnetic performances from actors and the simplicity in writing. The costumes, the subtle background score, the locations, settings, lingo and cinematography all cater towards making the film so close to real life circumstances that tears roll down right when the screens roll down. A special credit to Vicky Kaushal who plays Deepak, with his jaw dropping performances brings life to his character. Sad that Filmfare had to follow nepotism and give the best debut to someone else.This might not be a film which you can watch on a good weekend but it surely is a film that after watching will linger in your mind for a long time as it did for me.

aashishmalhan77 This is my first review and although i m an Indian, i didn't think it would be for an Indian movie, such is the beauty of this film. The story is not out of the blue, the actors are not famous, the director is not experienced, the budget is not much. But the story is told beautifully, the actors performed exceptionally well and its a wonderfully directed movie. Specially the director has done exceptional job. You wont be disappointed with this one. It touches you right in the feels. There have been some very good movies produced in Indian cinema off late, but this one sticks out.. Masaan will touch your soul and will you leave you with an understanding of the beauty of films. I really hope that Bollywood and its audience learn from this one.