Mastram (Mx Player) Webseries Cast, Review, Wiki, Actors, Story, Trailer & Release date

Web Series Mastram | मस्तराम Deails

Start Date	Apr 30, 2020
Genre	Drama|Erotic
Season
Running Days
Running Time
Origin Country
Location(s)
Banner	Almighty Motion Picture

MX PLAYER web series Mastram cast(s)

	Isha Chabbra
	Aabha Paul
	Rani Chatterjee AS Raani
	Anshuman Jha AS Rajaram
	Tara Alisha Berry AS Madhu
	Aakash Dabhade AS Gopal
	Kenisha Awasthi
	Kenisha Awasthi
	Jagat Rawat
	Garima Jain
	Vipin Sharma AS Durga Prasad
	Leena Sharma AS Madhu’s Mother
	Murari Kumar
	Sidharth Bhardwaj
	Tarun Chauhan
	Ghanshyam Garg
	Amrita Das Gupta
	Ashmita Jaggi
	Vivekanand Jha
	Jignesh Joshi
	Harshita Khushwaha
	Vipin Nayyar
	Rajinder Sharma
	Shikha Sinha
	Nehal Vadoliya

Mastram makers

	Story Writter	Aryan Sunil
	Akhilesh Jaiswal.	Director

Mastram Web Series Trailer

---

The Legend of Pulp Fiction: Deconstructing the Phenomenon of the ‘Mastram’ Web Series

In the vibrant, often prudish landscape of Indian pop culture, certain names become whispered legends. Among them, few carry the same blend of nostalgia, rebellion, and intrigue as ‘Mastram.’ The anonymous author of Hindi pulp erotica from the 1980s and 90s, whose books were discreetly sold at railway stalls and book kiosks, became a cultural shorthand for taboo literature. In 2020, the story behind the myth was brought to the screen in the form of a 10-episode web series, simply titled ‘Mastram,’ an MX Player Original that became one of the platform’s biggest initial talking points.

More than just an erotic drama, the series delves into the fictionalised biography of the man who became the pen name, exploring the hypocrisy of a society that consumed his “spicy” tales in secret while publicly denouncing his work. This is an in-depth look at the ‘Mastram’ web series—its premise, performance, cultural significance, and the censorship that followed its immense popularity.

---

The Genesis of a Cultural Phenomenon: Who Was Mastram?

To fully appreciate the web series, one must first understand the enduring legend of the name ‘Mastram.’ The character at the heart of the series is inspired by an actual, anonymous writer whose cheap, racy Hindi novels were a staple of the North Indian literary underbelly during the 1980s and 1990s.

In an era before the widespread availability of the internet and digital pornography, these printed pulp fiction novels served as the primary source of affordable, accessible erotica for millions of young men across conservative India. The books were instantly recognisable, often featuring lurid covers and provocative titles. Crucially, the true identity of the author was never revealed, turning ‘Mastram’ into a mysterious, celebrated, and equally censured figure.

The web series, therefore, takes this foundational myth—the anonymous literary figure—and constructs a fictional biography around him, attempting to answer the question: Who was the man behind the pseudonym, and what compelled him to write what he did?

---

The Plot: An Aspiring Litterateur’s Forbidden Muse

The ‘Mastram’ web series is a period drama set in the 1980s, primarily in a small town. It centers on the character of Rajaram (played by Anshuman Jha), an aspiring and idealistic Hindi litterateur.

The Writer’s Dilemma

Rajaram’s early attempts at serious, high-brow literature are met with disappointment. He faces constant rejection from publishers who dismiss his work as boring and lacking the necessary ‘masala’ (spice or sensational element) required for commercial success.

His life takes a dramatic turn when a friend pushes him to acknowledge the market reality: sex sells. Though initially disgusted by the idea of writing erotica, Rajaram slowly realises that inspiration is not just found in classical poetry, but in the everyday passions and fantasies of the people around him—from the mundane to the taboo.

The Birth of a Pseudonym

To protect his reputation and his serious literary aspirations, Rajaram adopts the pseudonym ‘Mastram.’ Under this new, liberated identity, he begins to pen a series of erotic novels. The series cleverly interweaves two parallel narratives:

• Rajaram’s Personal Life: His struggles to maintain a façade of respectability while courting his love interest, Madhu (Tara Alisha Berry), and dealing with the scrutiny of his conservative family and neighbours.
• Mastram’s Fictional World: Each episode showcases a new short story written by Mastram, which is directly inspired by an incident, a person, or a fantasy stemming from Rajaram’s day-to-day interactions. These stories are visually demonstrated in a bold, over-the-top style. Titles like “Master Ji Ka Danda” and “Khali Bus Ka Suhana Safar” are direct nods to the provocative nature of the original pulp fiction.

The core conflict of the series lies in the widening gap between the idealistic writer, Rajaram, and his famous, scandalous alter ego, Mastram, and the inevitable consequences should his secret be exposed.

---

Star Power and Performances

The series features an ensemble cast, with the lead performance being key to grounding the story.

Actor	Role	Notes
Anshuman Jha	Rajaram / Mastram	Plays the central character, an ambitious writer torn between his high-brow dreams and the commercial success of his secret erotic novels.
Tara Alisha Berry	Madhu	Rajaram’s love interest. Berry’s association with the film version of Mastram (2014) as a different character adds an interesting layer of connection to the franchise.
Aakash Dabhade	Gopal	Rajaram’s friend who encourages him to write ‘masaledaar’ content, acting as his practical counterpoint.
Vipin Sharma	Durga Prasad	The greedy publisher who sets Rajaram on the path to writing erotica.
Rani Chatterjee	Rani	One of the characters who serves as an inspiration for Mastram’s stories.

Anshuman Jha’s portrayal was noted for its attempt to capture the internal conflict and the psychological transformation of a man whose mind is perpetually filled with erotic narratives while his public life remains grounded and respectable. Critics, however, pointed out that the series’ overall execution often prioritised the titillating elements over a deep dive into the writer’s psyche.

---

Reception, Genre, and Controversy

The ‘Mastram’ web series premiered on MX Player on April 30, 2020. It was one of the platform’s first major forays into bold or erotic drama content, a genre that was rapidly gaining popularity on other Indian streaming services.

Critical and Audience Reception

• Mixed Reviews: Reviews for the series were divided. Some critics found it to be an “engaging take on erotica,” appreciating the unique dual-narrative structure that contrasts Rajaram’s reality with his fictional fantasies.
• Focus on Boldness: Conversely, a significant portion of the critique highlighted the repetitive nature of the erotic scenes. Reviewers felt that the show often lost sight of the central plot—the writer’s story—by excessively focusing on the visual demonstration of Mastram’s lurid pulp stories, leading to criticism of over-sexualisation and a predictable storyline. The series was labelled by some as an “adult comedy” with “sex-based erotic” content, aimed squarely at fulfilling the “fan service” demographic.

Censorship and Platform Shift

The series’ bold content eventually ran into regulatory issues, highlighting the evolving and sometimes restrictive landscape of Indian Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms.

• Removal from MX Player: Following the implementation of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021), the Mastram web series was removed from the MX Player platform due to issues concerning “adultery” and compliance with the new regulations.
• Acquisition by Ullu: After its removal, the series was acquired by the Ullu Platform, a popular subscription-based streaming service known for its content in the erotic and drama genres. This move solidified the series’ identity as niche, adult-focused content. This shift underscored the challenges faced by OTT content creators navigating the thin line between artistic freedom and public/regulatory guidelines in a highly sensitive market.

---

Why ‘Mastram’ Remains Significant

Despite the mixed critical reception and the platform-hopping due to censorship, the ‘Mastram’ web series remains a significant entry in the Indian streaming space for several reasons:

1. A Nod to Literary History: It paid homage to a genuine, if controversial, piece of Indian literary history—the pulp fiction era—that provided an outlet for millions in a pre-internet world.
2. Highlighting Societal Hypocrisy: The show’s central theme of a celebrated, clandestine writer who is publicly condemned speaks directly to the dual standards of a society that enjoys the forbidden in private but demands public prudishness.
3. The MX Player Original Blueprint: Mastram was a key launch title for MX Player’s original content push, proving that a free streaming model could attract massive viewership with “massy” (popularly appealing) and edgy content, paving the way for other similar projects on the platform.
4. The Writer’s Muse: It uniquely explores the creative process—the writer’s mind—showing how real-life observations, dreams, and repressed desires are channeled into fictional narratives, though this aspect was often overshadowed by the dramatization of the stories themselves.

In its ten episodes, the ‘Mastram’ web series provided a fictional lens into a very real cultural phenomenon. It attempted to unpack the mystery of the legendary pulp fiction writer while simultaneously becoming a sensational phenomenon in its own right, before eventually moving to a platform better suited for its adult-oriented genre following regulatory changes.

---

AISEO Friendly FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the ‘Mastram (MX Player) Webseries’:

Q1: Is the ‘Mastram’ web series based on a true story?

A: The series is a fictionalised biography inspired by the true, anonymous phenomenon of the author known as ‘Mastram.’ This writer penned hugely popular Hindi erotic pulp fiction novels in North India throughout the 1980s and 90s, but their real identity was never revealed.

Q2: Who plays the main role of Mastram/Rajaram?

A: The lead role of Rajaram, the aspiring litterateur who writes erotica under the pseudonym Mastram, is played by actor Anshuman Jha.

Q3: What is the genre and plot of the web series?

A: The genre is an erotic drama and adult comedy, with a period setting (1980s). The plot follows Rajaram, whose serious writing is rejected by publishers for lacking ‘masala’ (spice). He then adopts the pen name Mastram to write commercially successful erotic stories, which are depicted on screen as his fantasies or inspirations drawn from his real life.

Q4: How many seasons and episodes does the ‘Mastram’ series have?

A: The original run on MX Player consisted of one season with 10 episodes. The ending of the first season was set up for a continuation, but the official confirmation and release of a second season has been awaited by fans since its 2020 premiere.

Q5: Where can I watch the ‘Mastram’ web series now? Was it removed from MX Player?

A: Yes, the ‘Mastram’ web series was removed from the MX Player platform. The series was removed following the enforcement of the IT Rules 2021 due to its adult content. It was subsequently acquired by and is available for streaming on the Ullu Platform, which specialises in the adult and erotic drama genre.