Director Nandita Das will be releasing her vision of Manto in her upcoming biopic one of the most controversial writers of all times in the Indian subcontinent. Manto, a film based on Saadat Hassan Manto, was premiered at the 71st Cannes Film Festival and the team also released the first teaser.
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui portrays the character of the fiery writer in the teaser. From the appearance to mannerisms, the actor could definitely be the representation of the fearless Manto. Struggling to present the real picture of the society, Manto stands by the truth. The period drama film is set before the Partition of India and Pakistan. Check out the teaser here.
Before releasing the film, Nandita Das gave us a glimpse of Manto in her 6 minutes short film. In the video, Nawazuddin as Manto could be seen lecturing a class. It is not a usual lecture. Manto tells students about something we all refrain from admitting as a society.
Talking about Manto, Nawazuddin said, “He was a big fighter for free speech. Manto had always been true and wrote what he saw around him. The greatest challenge for me was that I was not like him. I am not like Manto. I tell lots of lies. I had to listen to my director and really had to purify myself (I was very polluted) before I began shooting.”
The film also features Tahir Raj Bhasin as Shyam Chaddha, who was Manto’s friend, confidant, and inspiration for a number of stories. Actress Rasika Dugal essays the role of Manto’s wife Safia, while Rajshri Deshpande will play the part of author Ismat Chughtai. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor will also be seen essaying a minor role in the film.