Daily Times

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who stars as Saadat Haasan Manto in ‘Manto’ an Indian film that is not getting released in Pakistan said society continues to remain stubborn in its reluctance to accept the bitter truth.

As the film has not got the green light for release, writers, activists and journalists got together last week to protest in different cities of Pakistan.

While ‘Manto’ director Nandita Das has expressed gratitude to the supporters, Nawazuddin Siddiqui said, “The majority of society has not grown up intellectually to embrace the truth. That is why we are still living in the same society and stuck in time. That is why what Saadat Hassan Manto faced in his time is still the reality. The problems are still existing and his story is still relevant. Yes, like the way there were few liberal-minded people writers, authors and intellectuals stood by him in the present time, a few people have also stood by the film. But all of us are really in the minority, you know,” he added.

Isn’t it quite a pessimistic thought?

The actor promptly responded, “No, no, don’t get me wrong. I want to add that those few liberal-minded people are the reason why the world is still a nice place to live in. They are the hope that drives all of us to work with conviction and stand strong for the truth. Otherwise people will just look for an opportunity to kill each other.”

‘Manto’, a biopic on Manto, released in India in September last year. It features Rasika Dugal, Divya Dutta, Paresh Rawal and Rishi Kapoor.

“Few stories are so compelling that when a filmmaker is ready to tell the unadulterated version of it on the big screen, as an actor you feel excited to do such a film. Of course ‘Manto’ was one of such project and I will be doing such films in coming days,” Siddiqui said, who will next be seen in ‘Thackeray’ as late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray.

Published in Daily Times, January 20^th 2019.