Nawazuddin Siddiqui reads a passage from the writing of Saadat Hasan Manto, a writer if alive, who would have been called a sickular on Twitter or heretic by the Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists.
Siddiqui is playing the lead role in a biopic on Manto directed by Nandita Das. And going by the pictures of Siddiqui in Manto’s garb, the actor bears a striking resemblance to the late writer.
Manto through his irreverent short stories took on the sexual mores (Odour, A Wet Afternoon), laid bare the horrors of partition (Toba Tek Singh, Colder Than Ice, The Assignment). His stories captured every facet of life in India and Pakistan -- persecution, depression, cinema, hypocrisy, strife and moral decay.
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Manto moved to Lahore after the Partition and financial woes wrecked his life. He took to alcohol, and passed away due to liver cirrhosis in 1955.
Here's the video:
