{ "id": "ep5z76fh5z", "slug": "mastram-2020-tv-series", "title": "Mastram (2020 TV series)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.indian_southasian_webseries", "label": "Indian and South Asian web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.indian_southasian_webseries" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020: Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Mastram (मस्तराम) is a 2020 Hindi erotic drama web series on MX Player, starring Anshuman Jha as 1980s pulp writer Rajaram, pen name Mastram; 10 episodes, premiered April 30, 2020, IMDb 6.8/10.", "snippet": "Mastram (मस्तराम) is a 2020 Hindi erotic drama web series on MX Player, starring Anshuman Jha as 1980s pulp writer Rajaram, pen name Mastram; 10 episodes, premiered April 30, 2020, IMDb 6.8/10.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.indian_southasian_webseries", "markdown": "# Mastram (2020 TV series)\n\n**Mastram** (मस्तराम) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language erotic drama web series that streamed on [MX Player](https://www.edgepedia.org/mx-player), based on the pseudonymous 1980s pulp-erotica writer of the same name. It stars [Anshuman Jha](https://www.edgepedia.org/anshuman-jha) as Rajaram, a small-town writer who adopts the pen name Mastram to publish erotic fiction that becomes a bestseller.[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) • [2](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | मस्तराम[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/mastram) |\n| Platform and premiere | MX Player, April 30, 2020; all 10 episodes released the same day[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) • [4](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram/seasons/official/1) |\n| Format | Hindi-language scripted web series, comedy, drama, fantasy, and romance; status ended[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) |\n| Lead cast | Anshuman Jha as Rajaram, Tara-Alisha Berry as Madhu, Jagat Rawat as Mama, Aakash Dabhade as Gopal[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) |\n| Direction | Credited to Harish Vyas by several sources, though IndiaForums named Akhilesh Jaiswal[2](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304) • [5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542) |\n| Production | Created by Almighty Motion Picture; producer Prabhleen Kaur Sandhu; writer Aryan Sunil[5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542) • [2](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304) • [6](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/) |\n| IMDb rating | 6.8/10 from about 2.9K user ratings; unweighted mean 7.9[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/ratings/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nThe series is set in the Hindi heartland of 1980s India. Rajaram is an aspiring writer whose serious work is dismissed as boring by publishers, who tell him he will never find readers. On his best friend's advice he decides to write about the sexual fantasies of ordinary people, and his first hit story under the pseudonym Mastram makes him a successful author, with all credit going to the pen name rather than to him.[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) • [5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542) [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) summarizes the setup as an aspiring author who discovers that sex sells when adding erotic content to his book finally results in sales.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/mastram)\n\nThe ten episodes pair stories of passion with turbulent day-to-day events from Rajaram's life, including his romance and engagement with Madhu.[6](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/) Episode titles include \"Khali Bus Ka Suhana Safar\", \"Master Ji Ka Danda\", \"Mallu Aunty Ka Malmal\", \"Baniye Ka Lollypop\", \"Bua Ke 56 Aasan\", \"Vaibhav Ki Didi\", \"Abhineteri Ka Nirman\", \"Madhu Ki Do Saheliyan\", \"Sonu Ka Joban\", and the finale \"Mastram Se Rajaram\".[8](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/mastram/season/1)\n\n## Production and release\n\nThe series was created by the production house Almighty Motion Picture and produced by Prabhleen Kaur Sandhu, with Aryan Sunil credited as writer.[5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542) • [6](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/) Direction is credited to Harish Vyas by Daijiworld, StarsUnfolded, and the Times of India cast listing, while IndiaForums' trailer report named Akhilesh Jaiswal as director.[2](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304) • [9](https://starsunfolded.com/mastram-cast/) • [5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542)\n\nMX Player released the official trailer on April 27, 2020, and the full season premiered on April 30, 2020, during India's COVID-19 lockdown.[5](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542) The trailer and series were rated 18+.[4](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram/seasons/official/1) Episode runtimes range from 20 to 33 minutes, averaging 29 minutes.[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram) • [4](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram/seasons/official/1)\n\n**Intimacy direction.** Because the show is erotic, Anshuman Jha asked the makers to bring in a trained intimacy specialist, comparing the role to choreographers for dance and action. The production hired intimacy coordinator Amanda Cutting, whose credits include work on projects such as a [Game of Thrones](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-of-thrones) prequel, The Good Doctor, and The Magicians; Jha said the process made the actors feel secure.[2](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304) • [10](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/anshuman-jha-on-cancelling-shoot-of-lord-curzon-ki-haveli-in-uk-during-covid-19-would-ve-been-stuck-1674638-2020-05-05) Mid-Day reported that the show was the first in India to hire international intimacy directors.[11](https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/web-series/article/Post-COVID-world-Mastram-makers-to-go-easy-on-erotica-22799237)\n\nJha said he had never read Mastram novels nor seen the 2014 film before preparing for the role, and that the research phase helped him understand why the character's literature became an underbelly cult in India.[10](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/anshuman-jha-on-cancelling-shoot-of-lord-curzon-ki-haveli-in-uk-during-covid-19-would-ve-been-stuck-1674638-2020-05-05)\n\n## Reception\n\nOn IMDb the series holds a weighted rating of 6.8/10 from about 2.9K users, with an unweighted mean of 7.9; per-episode ratings on the site range from 5.9 for episode 3 to 7.7 for episode 9.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/ratings/) The Times of India gave the season a critic's rating of 3.0 out of 5, calling the narrative fresh and engaging while noting that in 2020, with many platforms available, the series \"only manages to impart the basic lessons on sex\"; the review also praised Faroukh Mistry's cinematography for capturing both scenic beauty and the racy sequences.[12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/mastram/amp_seasonreview/75874034.cms)\n\n## Planned second season\n\nIn May 2020, Mid-Day reported that the makers were developing a second season and, anticipating that shooting intimate scenes would be difficult in a post-COVID world of social distancing, had decided at the writing stage to curtail intimate sequences and focus instead on the protagonist's psyche and how he arrived at his books. Writer Aryan Sunil said the degree of intimacy depicted would be decided by the intimacy directors under the guidelines then being put in place.[11](https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/web-series/article/Post-COVID-world-Mastram-makers-to-go-easy-on-erotica-22799237) As of the most recent listings, only one season has been released and the series is marked ended.[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram)\n\n## Background\n\nThe title refers to a pseudonymous author of cheap Hindi pulp erotica whose booklets circulated widely in [North India](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-india) in the 1970s and 1980s; no one knew who the author or authors were, and the popularity of the books made the Mastram name an urban legend, according to a contemporary Indian Express review of the 2014 film adaptation.[13](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-mastram-turns-out-to-be-much-too-banal/) The 2020 series is a separate, longer treatment of the same figure, following the writer Rajaram rather than retelling the film's story.[1](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Mastram, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram)\n2. [Why 'Mastram' is a special show for Anshuman Jha, Daijiworld (IANS)](https://www.daijiworld.com/index.php/news/newsDisplay?newsID=704304)\n3. [Mastram - watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/mastram)\n4. [Mastram - Season 1, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/mastram/seasons/official/1)\n5. [MX Player Drops The Official Trailer Of Upcoming Series 'Mastram', IndiaForums](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/mx-player-drops-the-official-trailer-of-upcoming-series-mastram_163542)\n6. [Mastram - Production & Contact Info, IMDbPro](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/)\n7. [Mastram (TV Series 2020) - Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12196626/ratings/)\n8. [Where to Watch Mastram - Season 1 Online, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/mastram/season/1)\n9. [Mastram (MX Player) Actors, Cast & Crew, StarsUnfolded](https://starsunfolded.com/mastram-cast/)\n10. [Anshuman Jha on cancelling shoot of Lord Curzon Ki Haveli in UK during Covid-19, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/anshuman-jha-on-cancelling-shoot-of-lord-curzon-ki-haveli-in-uk-during-covid-19-would-ve-been-stuck-1674638-2020-05-05)\n11. [Post-COVID world, Mastram makers to go easy on erotica, Mid-Day](https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/web-series/article/Post-COVID-world-Mastram-makers-to-go-easy-on-erotica-22799237)\n12. [Mastram Season 1 Review: An engaging take on erotica, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/mastram/amp_seasonreview/75874034.cms)\n13. [Movie Review: 'Mastram' turns out to be much too banal, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/movie-review-mastram-turns-out-to-be-much-too-banal/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Indian and South Asian web series*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Mastram (2020 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Mastram (2020 TV series)](https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series](https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Mastram (2020 TV series)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/mastram-2020-tv-series. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Mastram is a 2020 Hindi erotic drama web series on MX Player, starring Anshuman Jha as 1980s pulp writer Rajaram, pen name Mastram; 10 episodes, premiered April 30, 2020, IMDb 6.8/10." }