One of legendary author Saadat Hasan Manto’s many powerful quotes goes: “If you find my stories dirty, the society you are living in is dirty. With my stories I only expose the truth.”
Going by the recently released teaser of Manto, the biopic on the legendary author, directed by Nandita Das, explores the writer's immense passion for exposing the hypocrisy in society, no matter the cost.
Financial loss, humiliation, legal hassles and even death threats did not stop him from showing a mirror to the post-Independence society. It also touches upon his frustration that led him to be an alcoholic.
The expectations from the film are high, as Manto was a complex character, who constantly found himself in conflicts. Das and lead actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui have their task cut out to do justice to such a personality. Siddiqui seems to have got into the skin of his character. The teaser shows a glimpse of his master acting skills.
After the highly acclaimed Firaaq (2008), Das will be back with a powerful subject. The production design has successfully recreated the bygone era.
Manto passed away in 1955. While the story is of an era long gone by, the threat to freedom of expression then and now makes it relevant even today. The teaser of Manto shows promise of the film being a hard-hitting saga.
Watch the teaser: