Remembering A Revolutionary

Nandita Das’s upcoming biopic traces a renowned Urdu writer and poet’s years in Mumbai, dramatising some of his best known stories that strive to inspire us even today

- Radhika Sen

Having proved her mettle with art films like Fire and 1947 Earth, actor-turned-director Nandita Das has successfully donned many caps in the last two decades – that of a stage actor, teacher and director. After her directorial debut in 2008-09 with Firaaq, a movie that captured human relationships in the backdrop of violence, Das’s latest venture, Manto, is slated to release this October. Through Manto, Das felt compelled to tell the story of a man whose legacy lives on 70 years after his time. Making this film has been a means of responding to the issues that she still sees in the world around her – issues of identity, freedom of expression and the question of where one really belongs – which existed even during Manto’s time. The director talks to Grazia about her six-year-long journey with Manto and why the life of a courageous writer continues to be so relevant in our times.