Update: An online Petition is filed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to remove the ban from the movie Manto in Pakistan. Manto’s daughters, Nighat and Nuzhat from India signed this petition. Senior Journalist Saeed Ahmed filed the petition signed by Manto’s daughters, Salima Hashmi, Saleem Asmi, Mirza Hameed Baig and other famous personnel from Urdu Literature. However, Pakistan Sensor Board representatives stated that Manto was not presented to screen in Pakistani cinemas. They further said that nobody contacted them to exhibit this movie in Pakistan.
Nandita Das, Indian film producer and director tweeted that “she is feeling sorry that her upcoming movie Manto is not going to release in Pakistan.” She is feeling regret in this situation because it is unexpected for her.
She has been working on the story and the screenplay for the last six years. So, she worked hard to present several tumultuous years of his life with the real facts.
Her upcoming movie “Manto” sketches the crucial years of Saadat Hassan Manto. He was one of the boldest writers of his time. Manto wrote more than 22 volumes of short stories.
The best among them is written about Mirza Ghalib, the legendary Muslim poet. 70 years back, Manto raised voice for the freedom of speech. He wrote a large number of short stories with bold facts of the life, family matters, relationships and human feelings.
In the movie, Nawazuddin Siddiqui played the role of Manto and undoubtedly, presented his life quite impressively. Rasika Dugal is playing the role of Manto’s wife. Pakistani sensor board rejected the movie as it does not meet Pakistan social norms. Being a movie with some explicit scenes, it cannot be screened in Pakistani cinemas.
Nandita Das penned an article for a news site and there, she explains the reasons that why the movie cannot be screened in Pakistan.
Another reason is that the movie has anti-partition theme and it can hurt the feelings of Pakistani viewers. It released in India in September 2018. Das further says that “for the last 6 years, Manto’s family, the viewers of India and Pakistan had been waiting for the movie because Manto belongs to India and Pakistan equally.
So, it is injustice with the Pakistani audience to not let this movie enter in Pakistan.” Moreover, she was feeling regret that she cannot state her viewpoint before the Pakistani Censor Board.
