Manto is a 2018 Indian biographical drama film about the famous Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto, written and directed by Nandita Das. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the title character of Indo-Pakistani, author and writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Tahir Raj Bhasin plays the 1940s Bollywood superstar Shyam Chadda. Shyam was Manto’s friend, confidant, and inspiration for a number of stories. Rasika Dugal plays the role of Manto’s wife, Safia. Manto is based on the 1940s post-Independence period of India. Manto earned seven nominations at 64th Filmfare Awards including Best Film Critics, Best Actor Critics for Siddiqui.
The poster of the film was unveiled at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Das made a short film titled In Defence of Freedom, also starring Nawazuddin in the main role, and was released on YouTube on 23 March 2017. The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and released in Indian theatres on 21 September 2018. It was made as a prelude to the feature film. The film has multiple producers such as HP Studios, Filmstoc, and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.
Plot
Bombay 1946: Amidst the freedom struggle against the British Empire and the forewarning of India being partitioned, Saadat Hasan Manto, a well-established short story writer works in the glittering world of the Bombay film industry as a scriptwriter. Although Manto has a tenuous relationship with the Progressive Writers’ Association, many of its members are his close friends, including the feminist writer, Ismat Chughtai. They are both acquitted from the charge of obscenity for their respective works. Manto has many admirers and friends in the film industry. The closest is Shyam Chadda, a charming budding actor and Ashok Kumar, a famous actor, director and producer. But, his biggest supporter and the unwavering pillar of strength is his wife, Safia.
Soon after, India gains independence on 15 August 1947 and the new nation of Pakistan is born. Safia leaves for Lahore to attend her sister’s wedding. Despite flaring Hindu-Muslim tensions, Manto decides to stay back in his beloved city of Bombay. One day, Shyam, on hearing that his family was forced to flee Pakistan because of a Muslim mob attack, tells Manto in anger: “I could have even killed you.” Shocked and anguished, a non-practicing Muslim, Manto suddenly becomes conscious of his religious identity and the vulnerabilities that come with it. He impulsively makes the unimaginable decision of moving to Pakistan.
Lahore, 1948: A melancholic city full of refugees, forsaken property, and burnt buildings becomes Manto’s new home. He is left grappling with a growing sense of isolation and a deep sense of betrayal. As he struggles to come to terms with his new reality, he spirals into a state of perpetual drunkenness. Though Safia continues to stand by him, their marriage begins to feel the strain. Relentless and long-drawn court trials alleging obscenity in his story Thanda Gosht (literal meaning: Cold Meat) take a severe toll on his health and finances. His statement in defense of literature and free speech is met with a conviction. Despite this, he continues to pen some of his sharpest and most courageous works.
His compulsions to write and drink are in direct conflict with his desire to see his family – wife and two daughters, happy and secure. His failing health makes him hallucinate. Unable to see his family suffer any longer, he finally admits himself into the alcohol rehabilitation center in Lahore Mental Hospital.
The main narrative is seamlessly interspersed with five of his poignant stories. The last one being his most famous story – Toba Tek Singh. Manto begins the story with, “two or three years after Partition, it occurred to the governments of India and Pakistan to exchange their lunatics like they had exchanged their criminals. The Muslim lunatics in India were to be sent to Pakistan and the Hindu lunatics in Pakistani asylums were to be handed over to India.” The Sikh protagonist, who has vowed to remain standing until he finds his village, lies in death in no-man’s land, between the two nations. Manto’s predicament is not too different.
Cast
Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Saadat Hasan Manto
Rasika Dugal as Safia
Tahir Raj Bhasin as Shyam
Feryna Wazheir as Nargis
Javed Akhtar as Abid Ali Abid
Chandan Roy Sanyal as Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi
Vinod Nagpal as Bishan Singh
Rishi Kapoor as Film Producer
Inaamulhaq as Hamid
Ranvir Shorey as Ishar Singh
Rajshri Deshpande as Ismat Chugtai
Ila Arun as Jaddanbai
Divya Dutta as Kulwant Kaur
Paresh Rawal as Pimp
Tillotama Shome as Prostitute
Shashank Arora as Shaad Amritsari
Gurdas Maan as Sirajuddin
Danish Husain as Asad Zaidi
Bhanu Uday as Ashok Kumar
Madhurjeet Sarghi as Nasira Iqbal
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