Manto

Armed with strong acting skills of Nawaz and other talented actors like Rasika Duggal and Divya Dutta, Manto is a masterpiece that tells the present generation about the social conditions of 1940s and 50s, and so many things have still not changed. Every person living today in today's times can relate to Manto and his struggles. A MUST watch for every Indian and Pakistani.

If you are one of those people who hate English subtitles in a Hindi movie, my sincere suggestion to you is to check before-hand if the subtitles are shown in the show you are going to watch.

I watched this movie, at INOX Bhubaneswar. God knows, who is the culprit behind this idiocy.

Apart from that, the movie is good, atleast from what I was able to make of it, despite the difficulty and frustration in understanding the dialogues, because of the subtitles. The acting of Nawaz is terrific. The insertion of his short-stories, into the film, is also well-done and blends near perfectly.

One thing, which I didn't like and was clearly avoidable, was the fact that the movie is not completely sincere, honest and accurate in it's depiction of Manto's life. For example, Manto started facing court trials in India only, and it did not start in Pakistan. He faced fine in only one of the total of six trials he faced. I am not fully aware of the financial hardships faced by him, but the effect and impact of the fine or the court decision, certainly seemed a bit exaggerated.

A film based on the celebrated writer Saadat Hasan Manto is as riveting and overwhelmingly haunting as his work. Like Manto's stories, this film never fails to give goosebumps. Blending seamlessly between the depiction of some of Manto's stories like Ten Rupees, Khol Do, Thanda Gosht and Toba Tek Singh and his life, the film adds extreme depth and an insight to Manto's thinking. Set in the pre-partition era, that is, mid 1940s and 1950s Manto transports you to that era, the life in Mumbai(then Bombay), and Lahore, Bombay film sets and coffee shops, rickety magazine offices, courts, gardens, hooded convertibles and tongas in the sepia coloured tones. The film also grasps the intellectual conversations between Manto and Ismat Chughtai (Rajshri Deshpande) well. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has embodied the character of Manto. With that I mean, he IS Manto in the film. He is backed by an equally talented cast, with his wife Safiya(Rasika Dugal), who portrays a controlled and strong demeanour, his dear friend and actor Shyam(Tahir Bhasin), and a host of talented actors in special appearances. Divided like the fonts used in the film, Siddiqui brings out the inner divide, conflict, the hidden rage, the disgust, the hurt, the inner turmoil, the helplessness and fear, the urge to write the truth along with managing his household, the continuous court appearances to perfection. The hurt and regret speaks volumes with his incessant cigarette puffs and chugging of alcohol. With memorable dialogues and truthful portrayal of the characters, this is one of the films which will talked about for years. Worth watching a 100 times. The only fault? - The film got over too soon.

I love period films for the way it transports one to a different time, a different world altogether. This movie takes it one step further. It transports you into Manto's stories, as if you are a spectator living inside his short stories. I found the story-telling to be extremely effective. Manto's stories are highlighted really well in this movie. The parallel story-telling of his own life story and his work was a very innovative way of putting forward a biographical tale of a writer.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, as usual, is fantastic in his role. The supporting cast, led by Rasika Duggal are also great in their respective roles. The friendship between Manto and Shyam (Tahir Raj Bhasin) was very convincing. The stories revolving around the Partition of India, and how it affected so many people at the time was absolutely heart-wrenching. The way this story was told was both educational and incredible. A great film.

My Rating : 8/10

'Manto' as a film transports you to a different world completely. It gives you a sense of the zeitgest of a 1940's recently-partitioned India and Pakistan and the strong religious sentiments of the people at the time. Saadat Hasan Manto was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author and someone who through his writings wanted to give a different perspective.

Nandita Das' direction reminds me of the likes of Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray. 'Manto' is exquisite, poetic and an intimate character study.

Upar di gur gur di annexe di bedhiyana di moong di daal of di Pakistan and Hindustan of di...Manto.

Brilliant.