Manto goes to India

Sarmad Khoosat's directorial set to be screened at 21st Kolkata International Film Festival

The biopic has received rave reviews and tremendous applause thus far. Manto filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat and actress Nimra Bucha believe the cinematic portrayal of the Pakistani writer's troubled life is relevant today as free speech is "not easy" in both India or Pakistan.

"The fact that he [Manto] had a troubled life, was not getting paid, and his work was banned... all that resonates so much in the way we live today. The way we cast aside artistes and their work... Free speech is not easy in either of our countries," said Nimra at the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival on Sunday ahead of the film's screening.



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Manto is a hit in Pakistan and has been screened in various US varsities. Dubbing Manto as the "legacy of the subcontinent", director Sarmad who himself enacted the character of Manto, said the author stands for "freedom of speech".



Sarmad also said that he was initially scared to come to India as media reports painted a picture of intolerance in India.

"But I have been smiling ever since my arrival in the city. Now, I am not scared to be here," he said. But Nimra did acknowledge that in general "these are frustrating times for artists who want to speak the truth".



Manto is a 2015 drama film based on the life of Pakistani short-story writer Sadat Hassan Manto. Manto is produced by Babar Javed and written by Shahid Nadeem, whose screenplay was adapted from Manto's short stories, particularly Thanda Gosht, Madari and others.