While Sarmad Khoosat’s critically-acclaimed biopic on Saadat Hasan Manto focused on the writer’s struggles and life post-partition, Nandita Das will be tracing his life before and at the time of partition in hopes to bridge the gap between the two nations. And it seems she already has an actor, with keen interest, on board. According to the director, Irrfan Khan, who has proven his mettle both in India and Hollywood with films like The Lunchbox, The Namesake, Life of Pi and more recently Talvar, is eager to essay the controversial Urdu writer on screen.
“Irrfan is seriously looking at it,” Das told IANS. “He has read the first draft and fits the role to the T. He speaks fluent Urdu, looks a lot like Manto and above all is a wonderful actor. He himself has read a lot of Manto and is impacted by him. He said, ‘Manto karne ke liye to koi qabar se bhi uth ke aa jae’ (To play Manto one can even resurrect from the grave). Fingers crossed.”
While we have no doubts about Irrfan’s acting capabilities, he sure has a high benchmark to reach. Sarmad Khoosat’s portrayal of Manto has garnered appreciation, across a myriad of platforms, for being captivating in the multitude of shades that he managed to depict to perfection.
For now Das is working on the script, which is near completion, and wants to shoot the film in Mumbai as well as Lahore. “Manto is a project set in Mumbai and Lahore. No Indian or international film that is set in Pakistan has ever been shot there. I really hope I can, to make it more authentic and also to change this perception of fear and animosity. After all they shoot their own films there,” she added.
Courtesy: InStep Today (The News)
