Yes, it’s heartbreaking. But it’s also oddly life-affirming. The Ganges here is not just a place of cremation but of cleansing—of sins, of secrets, of sorrow. With Indian Ocean’s haunting score (“Tu Kisi Rail Si”) and Varun Grover’s poetic dialogues, Masaan stays with you like the scent of wet earth after the first rain.

The film follows four intersecting lives: a grieving father (Sanjay Mishra) who runs a small mithai shop, haunted by an extortionist cop after a family tragedy; his headstrong daughter (Shweta Tripathi), who seeks love on a disastrous internet date; and a lower-caste boy (Vicky Kaushal, in a breakthrough role) who falls for a higher-caste girl, only to be tormented by a sex tape that goes viral.

A Haunting, Lyrical Elegy on the Ghats of Varanasi Rating: ★★★★½

A modern classic about the weight of being human. Don’t watch it when you need cheering up—watch it when you need to feel everything.