Nandita Das’ Manto – A Few Years On…

In the Autumnal months of 2018, as the leaves began to turn yellow, we were gifted with a revolutionary and poignant Work of Art! Nandita Das has beautifully captured some monumental aspects of the unapologetic Literary Great way ahead of his time, Saadat Hasan Manto. Arguably, one of the most unique and distinct Writers of the 20th Century, Manto faced numerous challenges with the Censors of his time over his brutally honest depictions of real life in his Stories.

I can still remember Das’ progressive Work in Ghoom Taana, the soulful song by Sufi Rock Band, Junoon. Over the years, Nandita Das has wonderfully represented a new age of Forward Thinking and Social Change through her landmark Humanitarian Work in Films and Social Initiatives.

As a British born Desi, with roots hailing from Punjab, I connect deeply to Punjab as a whole rather than divided. Growing up in London, with Grandparents who had witnessed the horrors of Partition, it seems to me that they never quite lost that love for their Homeland. In fact, I was once narrated a beautifully heartwarming and touching Story about my Great-Grandfather. He was a Doctor who had to leave the Love of his Life, his very own Hospital behind to settle in a new and unfamiliar place. Like Manto, my Great-Dadajaan similarly suffered the loss of his eldest Son pre-Partition. On one very confusing and unforgettable night, he was not able to bid farewell to his Son’s final resting place, as he had to pack up his entire World along with his Family to leave his Home forever. As the years passed, my Great-Grandfather never quite adjusted to his new surroundings and clenched on to his Hospital keys everyday, hoping that One Day he would indeed return to his Beloved.

Certain Films are solely made for entertainment but then we have the very few deeply impactful and unique Masterpieces, that leave an everlasting impression on your Soul. Manto by Nandita Das is precisely one of these very few. Please only continue reading this, if you have already watched this Exquisite Film, as there are spoilers ahead!

In Manto (2018), Written and Directed by Nandita Das, we are introduced to the Saadat Hasan post Amritsar, New Delhi and after the loss of his first born Son, Arif. At this moment in his Life, Saadat Hasan is the already well established Writer, Manto working and living in the Cinematic Wonderland that is Bombay. Kartik Vijay’s Cinematography paints a truly Authentic Milieu of the 1940s and 1950s. The Meticulously Authentic Costume Design by Sheetal Iqbal Sharma, Wardrobe Supervision by Varsha Harlalka, Hair and Makeup by Srikant Desai, Editing by A.Sreekar Prasad and Production Design by Rita Ghosh, all made me feel as if I were living in Manto’s Bombay and Lahore.

In a deliciously iconic guest appearance, by the evergreen Rishi Kapoor, we hear mentions of one of Manto’s earlier challenges with the Censors: “Agaye aap Lahore se? Suna waha Court ne tumhe baizzat bari kar diya?” Manto is brilliantly crafted to perfection by one of the great Actors of our Time in Nawazuddin Siddiqui. He plays the troubled Author battling with the trials and tribulations of his Time along with Society’s censorship of his words. His fine portrayal mirrors the enigma that is the real life Manto. His vocal delivery is addictively enticing to watch On Screen as he so beautifully verbalizes: “Aghar aap mere Afsano ko bardaarsh nahi kar sak te, toh is ka matlab yeh hai ke Zamana hi nakabile bardaarsht hai!” The Cinematic Chameleon that is Rasika Dugal fits perfectly as Safia, Manto’s always patient and nurturing Wife. She is the backbone of the Family and through her classy nuances, this is one Actress that never ceases to amaze me! Dugal and Siddiqui are a perfect match in Nandita Das’ carefully constructed World of Manto and together they embody the ‘couple goals’ of the 1940s.

During a visit to his Mother’s grave, we are given an inkling as to what connection Manto held with both his Mother and Father. As his Sister suggests reciting ‘Surat Fatiah’ for both his Parents, Manto abruptly announces, “nahi, sirf Ammi ke liye!”. Nandita Das so poignantly captures the status of the relationship between his Father and the warm heartfelt connection to his Mother for whom he began each story with the Islamic numerals, ‘786’. Perhaps this may also be a reason as to why women were at the forefront of his Stories. It is after this Scene that we also hear echoes of the troubling times ahead, as Manto’s Sister suggests that moving to Lahore would be a safer option for them. Manto comically states that “aghar Bombay hi waha chala jaye, toh ho sakta mein bhi uske saath…”

At the local train station, we are introduced to the enchanting Shyam Chaddha. Tahir Raj Bhasin is ravishingly radiant in his golden age dapper attire and old world charm. He is fast becoming one of the most iconic Cinematic Artists of my generation and an absolute joy to watch On Screen. They say, that acting is reacting to a particular situation and Tahir plays Shyam with sheer dramatic delight! As both friends catch up on the platform, Manto offers Shyam an exclusive brand of cigarettes (fit for Film Royalty). There is a wonderful comedic scene with a local train passenger loitering around for his next free cigarette (or two in his case). I must also add, that a personal favourite word of mine that I started using as if it were a regular word in the dictionary was “Hiptulla!”

A Changing World…

Whilst enjoying a day shoe shopping, Manto witnesses a rather alarming conversation between the shoe-seller and his fellow worker. The shoe-seller refuses to shift his Life away from his Ancestors who have been in Bombay for generations: “Humare bazurg yaheen dafan hai, aur mein bhi yaheen dafan honge…” The arising tensions are also brought to Life as the Audience along with Manto become fearful over the sound of hateful, synchronised rioting in the nearby streets. As the shop becomes pitch black, we hear loud banging but thankfully Manto, Safia alongside Ismat Chughtai (played with quirky vintage charm by a free spirited Rajshri Deshpande) are carefully escorted out through the rear exit.

At the stroke of Midnight on 15th August 1947, Manto, Safia along with Daughter Nighat awaken to the sound of fireworks and celebrations on the local streets. Manto beautifully places his hand on Safia’s stomach and whispers to their unborn child that “tum ek azaad Hindustan mein pehdaa honge”.

Later, at the very tastefully decorated Independence Day party, hosting many of the biggest names from the Bombay Film Industry, Manto and his peers discuss the tensions still brewing and an uncertain future at Bombay Talkies. The scene later finishes with the wonderful Ila Arun portraying Jaddan Bai in Ab Kya Bataun sung soulfully by Shubha Joshi.

As tensions still continue, an increasingly worried Manto is sitting in a car with Bombay Superstar, Ashok Kumar, as they casually take a shortcut through a crowded neighbourhood. Manto reacts with fear as he quickly places his ‘topi’ on his head before attempting to place it on his famous friend. As their car is brought to a halt, the local people peek into the car and immediately become star struck by the ever so charming Ashok Kumar played mesmerisingly by a true gem in Bhanu Uday Goswami who resurrects the Cinematic Icon for one last time…

As Manto comes to meet his Actor friend, Shyam who just so happens to be rehearsing with the world renowned Naushad sir, he notices that Shyam is mentally preoccupied with his inner thoughts. Shyam reveals to Manto that his ‘Rawalpindi wala Chacha’ has come to Town. The scene then immediately becomes grim as we hear Shyam’s Chacha’s painfully disturbing story as victims of Partition. Along with Shyam and Manto, we are narrated the narrow escape that Shyam’s relatives made from Rawalpindi. Punjab was one of the most affected regions to be flooded with violence due to religious differences at the time. We hear that Shyam’s Chacha is still in search of his missing Son and this scene is very significant and almost too painfully similar to the Stories that I grew up hearing.

On an empty local train back Home, Shyam and Manto sit on opposite sides deeply affected by the close proximity of the troubling times ahead. As Manto is inspired to write yet another brutally honest depiction of real life based on what he has just witnessed with Shyam’s uncle, Shyam becomes irritated by this: “Woh log tumhari kissi kahaani ke kirdhar nahi hai. Woh mere apne log hai…” The scene later becomes very tense as Shyam erupts in a fit of rage, stating something which he would later regret forever. Shocked by his best friend’s words, Manto questions “mein bhi toh Musalmann hoon Shyam. Aghar yahan Fasad ho jay toh mumkin hai ke tum mujhe bhi?…” To which Shyam hastily agrees. This conversation between our ‘hiptulla jodi’ becomes one of the reasons for Manto questioning his position in his Beautiful Bombay. As Shyam wakes up to Manto packing up his Life, Shyam apologises with the hope that Manto may stay. But Manto is adamant that moving is the right option for him. Holding up Manto’s bottle of whisky, Shyam asks, “tum konsa bare Musalmann ho?”. To which Manto eerily replies that he’s Muslim enough!

On the way to the docking port, Manto captures a ‘mental image’ of his beloved streets of Bombay as both friends drive together for one last time. As Manto watches the local paan vendor, Govind through the car window, he reminisces of the day he owed 1 Rupee to Govind: “Uska ek Rupiya abhi bhi udhaar hai”. Shyam assures Manto that he will pay back the vendor but Manto refuses and beautifully states “main chaatha hoon ke main Zindagi bar iss Sheher ka karzdaar rahoon”. Ironically, Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui accepted only 1 Rupee as his salary in Manto, as a beautiful gesture which symbolises the importance of Manto, the Author and Manto, the Film.

As both Manto and Shyam reach the Ship that will separate them for good, they share a farewell ‘hiptullifying’ drink. In an emotional scene, Shyam toasts to “Pakistan Zindabad” and Manto toasts to “Hindustan Zindabad”. Our beloved ‘hiptulla jodi’ is then broken as they part ways. Manto takes one last glimpse of his favourite City as it becomes smaller and smaller through the growing distance.

New Home; New Challenges…

As a Citizen of a now new Country, Manto walks across the rubble of the dishevelled, war- torn streets of Lahore in 1948. With Manto, we learn of Gandhi ji’s passing and we see the locals repainting signs on Shops, trying to rebuild and resume with Life. Nandita Das then skilfully sweeps into the ‘Khol Do’ Story. Gurdas Maan is truly captivating as Sirajuddin, Sakina’s Father. This is not the usual ‘happy go lucky’ Gurdas Maan we are used to seeing in his songs but a rather distressed Father of a missing beautiful girl with a mole on her cheek: “Bohot hi khubsoorat, aankhen bari bari, kaale baal itne lambe…ghal pe mota sa til?” As the troubled Father eventually finds his Daughter, she is no longer the same Sakina… but a Sakina who has witnessed and experienced the worst of human nature. Nandita Das has a tasteful method of illustrating this Story and layering it meticulously with the journey of Manto, without ruining the flow of either.

As time passes by, Manto’s Daughters are growing up and the Family Life portrayed in this scene feels authentic. During a Family dinner, discussions over Manto’s financial struggle begin and Manto tells Safia that “main itna likhoon ga, ke tum bookhi nahi marogi”. But Safia sarcastically replies “fikar hai, ke aap ke likne ki waja se hi hum bookhe marengi”.

At the local town hall, Manto is invited to become a guest speaker to pass on his wisdom to the locals. In a wonderful cameo by the always magnificent Vijay Varma named beautifully as Ansaar Shabnam Dil, Manto shares a brief walk home with Ansaar who explains that “Thanda Gosht par ke toh mere neendein haraam hogi thi”. As Manto reaches his new Home, ‘Laxmi Mansions’, he tells the young hopeful, the History of his new humble abode. It was once an Ancestral Home for a Hindu Family who left for obvious reasons. He jokingly states that the Parsi Family upstairs reminds him of his beloved Bombay. The scene concludes with the sound of household objects falling to the floor. Manto quickly enters his Home to find that he has been summoned to Court due to his words in ‘Thanda Gosht’. As Manto writes down his Bombay address, he emotionally exclaims that “mera sab kuch waheen toh hai”. Manto then hears the hazy echoes of Shyam’s song, Nagri Nagri (sung with period grace by Shankar Mahadevan) as he locks himself away from his pain for a moment of solitude with the familiar sounds of his Past.

In Court, Manto’s trial of ‘Thanda Gosht’ begins and the trial then smoothly sweeps into Nandita Das’ portrayal of ‘Thanda Gosht’, a Story that shocked the Censors and ‘Senses’ at the Time. Ranveer Shorey as Ishar Singh is multi faceted, as the character comes to terms with his own morality and regret. Divya Dutta’s Kulwant Kaur is a hard hitting, no nonsense taking Powerhouse Performance that is ferociously beautiful. Ranveer Shorey’s delivery of “woh ek laash thi. Bilkul Thanda Gosht!” still sends shivers down my spine.

As Manto faces challenges with Writers debating the nature of his Story, a rather annoyed Manto sarcastically states: “Such toh hargiz nahi bol na chaye…phaar dene chaye jo humme pasand na aye”. The iconic Faiz Ahmed Faiz played authentically by Alok Arora defends Manto as an Author in stating that although the Story does not deserve the Charge against it, ‘Thanda Ghosht’ does not quite possess the quality of high literary standard, much to Manto’s dismay.

In a beautifully emotional scene, Manto comes across his unopened letters from his ‘former family’ in Bombay. Safia encourages Manto to read through the letters. As Manto struggles, she decides to narrate a letter from fellow Writer and friend, Ismat Chughtai: “…woh takhat nahi ke tumhe wapas bulau, lekin Khat ka jawaab toh de sakte ho!…”.

Back in Court, a defensive Manto describes that a Writer should not be judged by a few select lines but rather his creative choices should be judged through his Body of Work. Javed Akhtar shares his literary wisdom as Abid Ali Abid, in a scene that reflects the necessity of a character’s vernacular, defending the change in Ishar’s conscience, deeming the Work to be “Manto Saab ka ek Shahkaar Afsana”.

Neeraj Kabi immerses himself as the man at the tea stall reading Manto’s famous ‘Letters to Uncle Sam’. He then later recites from Manto’s words, “Mere Mulk ki tarah main bhi kat kar azaad hua…” with sheer irony and emotional resonance. As Superstar, Shyam Chaddha comes to Lahore for his Film premiere, our ‘hiptulla jodi’ is once again reunited. In a thought provoking scene, Shyam questions “Kitni ajeeb baat?…Ghante bar ki doori aur ek poora alag Mulk!” I must add that one of my favourite lines from the Film is “Main apni Maashukha Lahore ke aghosh me phir wapas aya hoon…” delivered with such finesse by Tahir Raj Bhasin as Shyam. The two old friends share a reuniting drink and the now successful Shyam offers Manto the same brand of cigarettes that he was once offered by Manto at the Bombay railway station. Judging by Manto’s appearance, Shyam offers to be a financially supporting hand but Manto’s pride refuses to accept this as he abruptly pushes away Shyam’s hand full of Rupees. Shyam is later whisked away by admirers and one just feels saddened that the two can’t always be together like old times.

A Writer’s Descent…

During an outing at the local park, Manto is still irritated by Faiz’s opinion of his Work. Manto’s Daughter Nighat looks strangely towards her Father, exclaiming that there is a rotten smell exuding from her dear Abha ji. Rasika Dugal is sheer brilliance as Safia naturally becoming tense, slowly losing her tolerance but powerfully keeping it together for the sake of her Family.

As Manto continues to endure the ‘Thanda Gosht’ trial, he significantly states that “Jo cheez jessi hai, uss se wese hi pesh kyun nai kiya jai?” Manto rightfully places his position alongside Writers such as Gustave Flaubert and James Joyce whom had also faced a similar reaction over their Written Work in their Time. Manto finishes off his defence with the most memorable line from the 2018 film: “Main toh bus apni Kahaaniyo ko ek Aaina samuj tah hoon, jisme Samaaj apne aap ko dekh sakhe aur aghar kissi buri soorat wale ko Aaina se hi shiqiyat ho, toh iss me mera kya kasoor?” As the Verdict is delivered, Manto along with the Publisher and the Editor are all fined 300 Rupees each, a Verdict that Manto would later go on to appeal.

Post ‘Thanda Gosht’s’ trial, Manto along with his Lahori drinking companion, Shaad Amritsari (played by the hypnotically luminous, Shashank Arora) arrive at Jamal Hussain’s office to collect Manto’s salary. As the conversation ends on a sour note with Manto tearing up his own column, this further deepens the financial burden on this conflicted Artist.

As a deteriorating Manto wakes up to find Safia caring for their ailing Daughter, Manto goes out to pick up some medicine. During a scene guest starring the always authentically brilliant Saharsh Kumar Shukla, Manto discovers that his ‘hiptulla partner’, Shyam had been sending telegrams requesting to pay Manto 500 Rupees from his salary. On hearing this news, a heavily drunk Manto along with Shaad sit on the steps of ‘Pak Tea House’, when Manto suddenly realises that he hasn’t actually bought the main thing he needed to buy- his Daughter’s medicine! As he comes Home to a rather disappointed Family, Manto then makes the ultimate decision to fight his addiction for the sake of his loved ones.

As we learn of Shyam’s unfortunate passing, Manto’s masterful ‘Toba Tek Singh’ Story begins. Nawazuddin Siddiqui portrays Manto’s frailty and descent with utmost grace. Nandita Das showcases this poignant Tale as a perfect Conclusion to the social message of the Film which forever stands as a metaphor of our shared humanity. As the Hindu and Sikh patients of the mental health institution in Pakistan are being exchanged with the Muslim patients in India, our protagonist Bishan Singh (played with genuine melancholy by Vinod Nagpal) repeatedly asks where his Beloved Toba Tek Singh is? As he eventually discovers that his precious village is in Pakistan, he attempts to turn back but is forced to move forward and go to India. In a state of confusion he ponders “Toba Tek Singh, Hindustan mei hai…Pakistan mei ?…” In a fit of rage, the man who had stood for 15 years roars for one last time before ultimately falling between both countries in No Man’s Land.

As the rolling credits flow like the Rivers of Punjab, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s, Bol ke Lab Azaad Hain by Rashid Khan and Vidya Shah echoes over photographs of the Ensemble Cast, combining some of the finest Actors working in Bollywood and Art- House Cinema today. Some notable mentions who also featured as part of Manto’s Ensemble Cast include Paresh Rawal with Tillotama Shome in ‘Sau Candle Power ka Bulb’ and Purab Kohli with Nazma Ali Shaikh in ‘Dus Rupey’.

As a final thought, it is important to look back at Writers such as Manto as his Work stands the Test of Time, not only as a point of historical reference but also as a truly unique Testament of the human struggle. His Work leaves a rather disturbing but thought provoking impression on your heart and soul and it truly makes you wonder and look deeply into the best and worst of human nature. I could easily write more about this multi-faceted Writer as there are so many Stories that have touched my heart including ‘Tamasha’, ‘Sahai’ and of course ‘Toba Tek Singh’. I must also add that Ayesha Jalal’s ‘The Pity of Partition’ was a great Companion Piece to this Film and would recommend it to fellow Manto readers. Raftaar’s electrifying Music Video, ‘Mantoiyat’ also directed by Nandita Das is a fantastic teaser and introduction to a 21st Century ‘Manto Mindset’.

Revisting Nandita Das’ Manto, it is still remarkably eternal and so very relevant in our Current Times. Manto and Nandita Das share a bond through the ages that manifests through their collective themes of Humanity, Unity and the much needed Freedom of Art and Artists to express themselves in their Work. As the rolling credits stated, “Saadat Hasan died at 42…Manto lives on!”

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