Purushottam Studios’ Maassab is the story of a teacher whose mission and passion it is to educate people. He treats education as a service rather than a business. Ashish Kumar (Shiva Suryavanshi) is a teacher who leaves a paying job to teach in a primary school of a village where superstition and ignorance rule. His ways of teaching soon win over the villagers but there are also those who feel threatened by his genius. He is soon promoted as the school’s headmaster but his path is beset with problems created by vested interests. Is he able to face the challenges or does he succumb?
Shiva Suryavanshi has written a well-intentioned story which underlines the need for educating the masses in backward areas of India. However, the story moves on a very thin story-line and has been penned like a documentary. Therefore, the element of entertainment is almost completely missing. Aditya Om’s screenplay (with additional screenplay by Shiva Suryavanshi) is also uni-dimensional, giving the film the feel of a docu-drama. Dramatic scenes are few and far between. Yes, a couple of emotional scenes are definitely engaging but that’s about all, which is simply not enough. The climax is not as exhilarating as it ought to have been. Dialogues (by Aditya Om; additional dialogues by Shiva Suryavanshi) are alright. Far more punch ought to have been packed into the dialogues.
Shiva Suryavanshi does a fair job as teacher/headmaster Ashish Kumar. Sheetal Singh is quite nice as Usha Devi. Hussain Khan plays BSA (Basic Shiksha Adhikari) Nand Kishor Yadav with conviction. Chandra Bhushan Singh has his moments as Mahendra Yadav. Brijeshwar Singh is effective in the role of Jitendra Singh. Sanjana Sharma is okay as teacher Shanti Devi. Jay Prakash Singh lends fair support as the school headmaster. Kritika Singh is alright as Rama Devi. Ravi Bhushan Kumar is adequate as the principal of Bhanu Public School. Narmadeshwar Dubey (as Jiledaar Singh), Sharadraj Singh (as Rana Singh), Gagan Pradeep (as Yadavji), Harish Maurya (as peon Budhiya), Ashutosh Singh (as Bal Sudhar Grih warden), Dr. Ashish Kumar Singh (as the fake BSA), Ramkrishna Avasthi (as the fake headmaster), Anuj Singh (as Jabbar), Shubham (as Shubham), Sohit Vijay Soni (as Nanhe), Dhiral Dhami (as Chhannu), Manveer Choudhary (as Avdhesh Kumar), Swati Patel (as Avdhesh Kumar’s sister), Nandram Anand (as Deenu), Prem Singh (as Usha’s father, Govindji), Rohini Singh (as Usha’s mother), Mahima Singh (as Mahima), Madhavi Sengar (as Madhavi), Riddhi Singh (as Riddhi), and Palak, Komal, Siddhi, Kajal, Sneha (all students) lend the required support.
Aditya Om’s direction is alright. Rather than a universally appealing film, he has made a film which would appeal only to the festival circuit audience. Mahavir Prajapati’s music (folk) is okay. Veeral-Lavan’s background score could’ve been better. Shrikant Asati’s camerawork is quite nice. Prakash Jha’s editing is decent.
On the whole, Maassab is a film which has noble intentions but it lacks commercial value. As such, it will go almost completely unnoticed at the ticket windows.
Released on 29-1-’21 at PVR Citi Mall Andheri (daily 1 show) of Bombay by Purushottam Studios. Publicity & opening: poor. …….Also released in Delhi-U.P. and C.I.