Karachi, 14 Sept.: Oxford University Press (OUP) organized an event on the recently released film Manto, which is a biographical drama film based on the life of the legendary and controversial short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto (1912–1955). The film has been directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and the script has been written by Shahid Nadeem. It depicts the last few years in the life and career of the South Asian author who is renowned for his scathing insight into human behavior and the at-times macabre and animalistic nature of people.
The event, held at the OUP Head Office, featured screening of clips from the film which follows Manto’s turbulent life, the social climate in which he wrote his most controversial stories and essays, his rising stature as a literary genius, and his relationships with his wife, daughters, and the rising silver screen star Noorjehan. This was followed by a discussion on the film by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and Sania Saeed and Nimra Bucha, who have performed significant roles in the film. Describing Manto as a great artist and a radical, revolutionary author, the speakers highlighted that the film aims to explore the tension between the mortal, flawed individual that Manto was, his epic work, and his stark portrayal of the darkness of human psyche. They added that in both the format of the film and the screenplay, there is an intense emphasis on detail which allows for many levels of interpretation. They also emphasized that the film does not intend to make a screen hero out of the legend that Manto already was and is, by over-dramatizing or blowing his persona up to a larger than life idea, but it is an attempt to tell the story of a man driven to despair when he is denied his true passion and the moral choices of individuals around him that jeopardize bonds of blood and love.
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