03 May,2017 06:02 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
No one told you about Manto, but the literature finds you! Rahat Kazmi shares his love and his passion with all
A still from 'Mantostaan'
"No one told you about Manto, but the literature finds you!" Rahat Kazmi shares his love and his passion with all.
Rahat Kazmi had been burning with the desire to make something about the person who changed his perspective on life, Saadat Hasan Manto, and it does seem like the universe conspired to help him.
Raghuvir Yadav
"When I first discovered Manto, I remember speaking to Raghuvir Yadav about it. He told me then that if I ever get around making a film on Manto, he would do it without charging a penny. That's exactly what he did. What is amazing is that while we were putting the film together we realized there are so many amongst us who have been waiting for someone to translate Manto's work into cinema. Let's face it, given the work has always been on the periphery of social norms, it was not going to be an uphill task, but the way we have all come together, it sure seems like it was meant to be," stated Kazmi, the director.
Manto takes you to dark satirical world where his characters grab your breath by portraying darkness yet innocence, grit yet with humor. The film talks about the sufferings of common people and also how people can be beautiful and ugly at the same time.
The film has been garnering accolades in Film festivals across the world. It premiered at the prestigious 'Cannes Film Festival' and got a standing ovation. The film has traveled to San Francisco Festival of Globe, Melbourne Indian Film Festival, International Film Festival of India, London Asian Film Festival to name a few.
The film is directed by Rahat Kazmi, produced by Rahat Kazmi Films, Tariq Khan productions and Aditya Pratap Singh Entertainments presented by Jitesh Kumar films & UFI productions in association with Paylesser and is slated to release on 5th May, 2017.
