Nandita Das is known to never shy away from the bold and controversial when it comes to her film making. She made her Bollywood directorial debut, in 2008 with a film titled ‘Firaaq’ which centered around the aftermath of the Gujarat riots. Now the actress has set her sights on making her second venture on the life of controversial writer, Saadat Hasan Manto.
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Talking about her experience of film making Nandita Das said, “I thought giving birth to my son or directing ‘Firaaq’ was difficult. But ‘Manto’, by far, has been the most challenging experience of my life. Researching, writing, gathering funds, bringing together the cast and crew and producing it — everything has been a huge learning curve. It feels like a grand rehearsal for my third film.”
She also added, “In fact it is because of what has gone into putting Manto together that I have decided to write a whole book on the journey of making the film.”
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When asked on why she chose Manto as her inspiration, “What drew me to the story of Manto was his free spirit and courage to stand up against orthodoxy of all kinds. It’s his fearlessness and a deep concern for the human condition that I have always felt connected to. No part of human existence remained untouched in his works or was taboo for him.
“The only identity that mattered to him was that of being a human. Manto’s faith in the redemptive power of the written word, through the hardest times, resonates with my own passion to tell stories. In some mystical way, I feel I am part of that hopeful legacy.”
