Mumbai (PTI): Director Nandita Das’ “Manto”, a biopic on celebrated short story writer Saadat Hasan Manto, has been selected in the Cannes sub section Un Certain Regard.
The film, which stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the title role, is Das’ second directorial effort after “Firaaq” in 2008.
“We are in Cannes!! #Manto is selected in the official section – Un Certain Regard. Exciting moment for the entire crew & cast,” she tweeted.
Official Twitter handle of the French film festival also posted the announcement, which Siddiqui shared with his followers and congratulated his director and the team.
“’And it is possible that Saadat Hasan dies, but MANTO remains alive’. Glad to inform that ‘MANTO’ is selected for competition at #Cannes2018 in #UnCertainRegard section,” the actor wrote.
Das, who has been a part of the Cannes jury twice — in 2005 and 2013 — later took to Facebook to thank friends and followers.
“Thank you for all your good wishes that have been pouring since the announcement… While Cannes is the most prestigious platform for the film, and a great start, the journey will be complete only when we get to share it with you,” she wrote.
“Having been on the jury twice, and an audience at Cannes many a time, I have to say, it is truly a haven for film lovers. I look forward to seeing how the audience there reacts to this film that I have lived with for almost 7 years. For me, this film and everything else that I do, will always remain a means to trigger conversations, a small step towards “the world we want to see”.
The director said she will give finishing touches to the film before it heads to the festival.
Das had unveiled the first look of the film at Cannes last May with stars Siddiqui and Rasika Dugal.
Manto, best known for his stories on Partition, was born on May 11, 1912, and migrated to Pakistan after 1947 and died at the age of 55 on January 18, 1955.
The film chronicles four years of Manto’s life — two years before the Partition and two years after that — the most creative yet the most turbulent period for the writer.
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