Today, we are celebrating our 72nd Independence day but still everyone demands “Freedom of Expression” even though the country is democratic. Imagine how difficult it would have been to raise your voice in a time when you weren’t allowed to express. Saadat Hasan Manto was one such man. Born in British India, he was a playwright and author, working in Bombay.
Post Independence, he had to leave Bombay and move to Lahore where he found himself bereft of friends and unable to find takers for his writings. He later took to alcohol which lead him into a downward spiral. Through all of this, he continued to write prolifically, without dilution.
Manto was known to write about the atrocious truths that no one dared to talk about. He was tried for obscenity six times; thrice before 1947 in British India, and thrice after independence in 1947 in Pakistan, but never convicted.
‘Manto’ starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a story of this brave man. The film written and directed by Nandita Das has already been selected for the Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival amongst many others.
Nawaz looks in terrific form in the trailer. The director told IANS that Nawaz completes matches Manto. She said, “He has similar kind of personality in terms of views, anger, arrogance, sensitivity and humour. I think it was smooth ride for Nawazuddin to play this character.”
The film also stars Rishi Kapoor, Javed Akthar, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Rasika Dugal,Paresh Rawal, Divya Dutta among others.
Produced by HP Studios, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, FilmStoc, & Nandita Das Initiatives, the film is all set to hit the theateres on 21 September 2018.