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
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.
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