Pak filmmaker wants Kolkata to see ‘Manto’

Kolkata: Saadat Hasan Manto lived for just 43 years and in 1947 he was at the peak of his maturity as a writer to record the human side of the Partition. Some of his great works came during that chaotic and exciting period of the Indian freedom movement and the subsequent trauma of the Partition.
Actor-director Nandita Das is planning a biopic on the author; another biopic made in Pakistan was released on September 11.If the Pakistani director Sarmad Sultan Khoosat has his way, his ‘Manto’ may get a wide release in India. If not, he wants to get the film for screening at the Kolkata International Film Festival.
Speaking to TOI from Karachi, Sarmad was optimistic about an India release despite the failure of many popular films previously. “Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, I want to bring my film to the land of Satyajit Ray. That’s for a spiritual reason because I respect Tagore and Ray. Even if there is no wide Indian release, I promise to get my film at least in some festival in Kolkata,” Sarmad said.
Sarmad describes ‘Manto’ as an indulgent project. “I have had a certain kind of obsession for Manto. He is the true ambassador of tolerance and had a human approach to the divide. Both India and Pakistan have a joint ownership on Manto. I’ll be happy if my film provides an ‘Aman ki Asha,’ ” the director from Karachi said.
Playing the author of ‘Toba Tek Singh’ wasn’t easy. The larger challenge was to portray Manto’s weaknesses, fears and complexes on screen. Manto had worked in erstwhile Bombay as a script writer, where among others he wrote ‘Mirza Ghalib’ that went on to become the first Hindi film to win the National Award in 1954.
The film focuses on the last seven years of Manto’s life during which he wrote stories like ‘Thanda Gosht’, ‘Toba Tek Singh’ and ‘License’. Manto thrice faced obscenity charges during this time.
“A lot of myths and clichés surround Manto. Despite the allegations, I feel the soul of what Manto was trying to say was not demonstrative,” the director said, pointing to the climax of ‘Thanda Gosht’ to demonstrate what he was saying.