''Manto'' ( ur, ) is a 2015 Pakistani

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

based on the life of Pakistani short-story writer Sadat Hassan Manto, starring

Sarmad Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film director, film/television director, TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered t ...

in the title role. It was directed by Khoosat himself, produced by

Babar Javed Babar Javed ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television and film producer and director. He has produced and directed universally acclaimed series such as ''Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan'', ''Qaid-e-Tanhai'', ''Mera Saaein'', ''Main Abdul Qadir Hoon'', ''Aasm ...

, and written by

Shahid Nadeem Shahid Mahmood Nadeem ( ur, ; born 1947) is a Pakistani journalist, playwright, screenwriter, theater and television director, and a human rights activist. He served as the general manager, program director, and deputy managing director of ...

, whose screenplay was adapted from Manto's

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

, particularly " Thanda Gosht", "Madari", "License", "Hatak" and "Peshawar Se Lahore". It also depicts his relationship with singer-actress

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...

. The film was released on 11 September 2015, sixty years after Manto's death. The full-length official trailer was released on 29 August 2015. The motion trailer along with film music was released on 6 August 2015. The TV series on the life of writer entitled ''Main Manto'' with the same cast and production, initially made in 2012, was aired in December 2015.

Plot

The story is about a 20th-century writer,

Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer), Greek singer * Manto Mavrogenous, Greek national heroine * Saadat Hasan Manto, Urdu short story writer known by his pen name Manto * Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician * Manto ...

(played by

), who grew up in the showbiz industry of

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(now Mumbai) and

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

. It focuses the last seven years of the writer's life, during which he wrote some of his most controversial stories, such as "Thanda Gosht", "Toba Tek Singh", "License", "Upar, Neechay aur Darmiyan" and "Peshawar Se Lahore". For these, Manto had to face charges of obscenity thrice.

Cast

Saadat Hasan Manto Saadat Hasan Manto (; Punjabi, ur, , ; 11 May 1912 – 18 January 1955) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, who was active in British India and later, after the 1947 partition of India, in Pakistan. Writing ma ...

Sania Saeed Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host. Works mainly in television and theatre, Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including two PTV Awards, three Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards. She first ...

as Safiya Manto *

Saba Qamar Saba Qamar Zaman (born 5 April 1984), known professionally as Saba Qamar, is a Pakistani actress who works predominantly in Urdu films and television. She has won several accolades including Lux Style Awards and Hum Awards. Qamar is one of Pak ...

* Danyal Adam Khan as Hamid Jalal *

Adnan Jaffar Adnan Jaffar ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor and former anchor from Karachi. He is known for his work in theatre, film and television industry of Pakistan for which he is extensively appreciated. Career Adnan began his career after attending Nat ...

Qudrat Ullah Shahab Qudrat Ullah Shahab (or Qudratullah Shahab, ur, ; 26 February 191724 July 1986) was an eminent Urdu writer and civil servant from Pakistan. Shahab holds the distinction of having served as the Principal Secretary to three heads o ...

Shamoon Abbasi Shamoon Abbasi ( ur, ; born 4 April 1973) is a Pakistani actor, director and screenwriter, better known for portraying villain roles. Family His father Zuhair Abbasi was a novelist and drama writer, and so is his aunt, Seema Ghazal. Syed Ali R ...

as Eishar Singh * Aliee Shaikh as Khuda Bakash *

Tipu Sharif Yörgüç Tipu Sharif, better known as Tipu Sharif ( ur, ), is a Pakistan-based actor and singer-songwriter of Pakistani and Turkish descent. His mother is from Izmir, while his father is from Karachi, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), offi ...

Shaukat Hussain Rizvi Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi (1914 – 1999) was a Pakistani actor, film producer and director. He is widely considered as a pioneer of the Pakistani film industry. Early life and career Shaukat Hussain Rizvi was born in the city of Azamgarh, U ...

* Talha Mufti as Nawaz *

Arjumand Rahim Arjumand Rahim ( ur, ارجمند رحیم) is a Pakistani television actress, director and producer. She has been seen in different television serials at different channels. She is best known for her character "''Pari''" in Suno Chanda 2. Car ...

as Nazneen (a

Tawaif A ''tawaif'' was a highly successful entertainer who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal Empire, Mughal era. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance (mujra), theatre, and the Urdu l ...

) *

Hina Khawaja Bayat Hina Khawaja Bayat ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress whose appearances include ''Uraan, Ishq Gumshuda, Aunn Zara, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Muqaddas'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat'' and '' Baaghi''. Early life Hina is ethnically Kashmiri and lives i ...

as Begum Sahiba *

Rehan Sheikh Rehan Sheikh is a Pakistani film and television actor, director, writer, film maker and producer. For his portrayal of Hafiz Ilyas in social drama '' Inkaar'', he received critical praise and a nomination of Best Actor at Lux Style Awards. Pers ...

as Mian Saheb * Faisal Qureshi as Radio Actor *

Nadia Afghan Nadia Afgan is a Pakistani actress who appears in Urdu films and television and films. She is known for her work in theatre and television. Her numerous work in television includes a series of plays in both Urdu and Punjabi. She rose to promin ...

as Saugandhi *

Savera Nadeem Savera Nadeem ( pa, ) is a Pakistani actress, producer and director. Primarily known for her work in television, she also acted in theatre and films. Nadeem is the recipient of a Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress out of five nomin ...

Nimra Bucha Nimra Bucha ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress who has appeared in variety of TV serials, films, web-series and has also worked in theatre. She played a role of Saadat Hassan Manto's muse in Sarmad Khoosat's ''Manto (2015 film), Manto'' which earne ...

Irfan Khoosat Irfan Khoosat ( Punjabi, ur, ) (born 9 June 1946) is a Pakistani actor, producer and a well-known comedian. He is famous for his comic role as ''Hawaldar Karamdad'' in the TV series Andhera Ujala (1984-1985) in which he portrayed a simpleton ...

* Afraz Rasool * Shakeel Hussain Khan as Manto's Doctor *

Yasra Rizvi Yasra Rizvi is a Pakistani actress and writer. She played the female lead in a number of television productions, including '' Mann Ke Moti'' (2012), ''Woh Dobara'' (2014), '' Thora Sa Aasman'' (2016) and '' Ustani Jee'' (2018). In her acting caree ...

as Balwant Kaur *

Qaiser Naqvi Qaiser Naqvi is a Pakistani actress. She is known for her roles in dramas ''Main Chand Si'', '' Humsafar'', '' Shikwa'' and ''Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si''. Early life Qaiser was born in 1958 on December 8th in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her stu ...

as Sardar Begum *

Mahira Khan Mahira Hafeez Khan (; born 21 December 1984) is a Pakistani actress. She started her career as a VJ in 2006. Khan is best known for portraying the role of Khirad Hussain in the romantic-drama ''Humsafar'' for which she received numerous acco ...

as Madaran (appeared in screen credits and in the song "Kya Hoga") *

Azfar Rehman Azfar Rehman is a Pakistani model, TV host and actor. He has acted in ''Dugdugi'', ''Ladies Park'', ''Sitamgar'', '' Baityaan'', ''Mehar Bano aur Shah Bano'', ''Noor Pur Ki Rani'', ''Mohabbat Rooth Jaye Toh'' and '' Phir Chand Pe Dastak''. He ...

as a Passenger (appeared in screen credits and in the song "Kya Hoga") *

Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer. He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...

(cameo appearance in screen credits) * Mohammed Hanif (guest appearance) *

Suhaee Abro Suhaee Abro ( sd, سھائي ابڙو, ur, ) is a Pakistani dancer and actress. She specialises in the field of dance and is a trained classical dancer. Suhaee works in television plays, theatre, documentaries and music videos. She won best ...

(appearance in the song "Kaun Hai Ye Gustakh" in an opening scene) * Vajdan Shah (appearance in the song "Kaun Hai Ye Gustakh" in an opening scene)

Soundtrack

The music album was released on 6 August 2015, at a Blue Carpet event held at Nueplex Cinema, Karachi by distributors

Geo Entertainment ''Geo Entertainment HD'' or Geo Drama is a Pakistani entertainment television channel owned by Geo Television Network was established in May 2002. Its test transmission started on 14 August 2002 on the PAS 10 digital satellite whereas on 1 Octob ...

and

Geo Films ''Geo Films'' is a film production and distribution company owned by Geo Television Network based in Karachi, Pakistan. ''Geo Films'' distributes Hollywood, Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film ind ...

. The soundtrack, including background score, sound mixing, editing and original songs, was composed by Jamal Rahman of True Brew Records. Khoosat, who hired Rahman after hearing his work for

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural sphe ...

's ''

The Reluctant Fundamentalist ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' is a "metafictional"Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. “Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: ‘An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and ‘Fiction’ in the Making.” Arab Stu ...

'', said, "I want to make it yours and run with it." Three of the four songs are taken from famous poets, including

Majeed Amjad Majeed Amjad (Punjabi, ur, ) (29 June 1914 – 11 May 1974) was an Urdu poet from Pakistan. One newspaper described him as a "philosophical poet of depth and sensitivity". His ghazals have also been sung by various Pakistani singers. Personal ...

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

and Indian Punjabi poet

Shiv Kumar Batalvi Shiv Kumar Batalvi (23 July 1936 - 6 May 1973) was an Indian poet, writer and playwright of the Punjabi language. He was most known for his romantic poetry, noted for its heightened passion, pathos, separation and lover's agony, due to that he ...

. One song was written by Muhammad Hanif. One song of the film, sung by Ustad Salamt Ali Nazar, was neither revealed nor announced at the launch. The soundtrack was praised for its classical genre, strong lyrics and soulful music composition.

Track listing

Release

Initially the film was scheduled to release in late 2014 but was postponed due to delays in post-production. The first teaser trailer was released on 6 August 2015, for limited special screening. The official trailer was released online on 29 August 2015. ''Manto'' was released on 11 September 2015 in Pakistan under the banners of

. Before theatrical release in the US, the film was screened at three of eight

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...

institutions, including

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

between 16 and 25 October.

Reception

Box Office

Below is the film’s Weekly breakdown.. Week One.. 1.58cr Week Two.. 1.77cr Week Three.. 67lacs Week Four + Week Five.. 57lacs Week Six.. 20lacs Week Seven*.. 11lacs Week Eight Onward.. 15lacs Total.. 5.03cr

Critical reception

The film has been positively received by critics, with ''Dawn''s Mehreen Hasan calling it "A darkly perfect biopic". ''Blasting News'' Adnan Murad stated, "With an interestingly intricate premise, 'Manto' depicts the life of an accomplished writer of the subcontinent. The movie clearly rests on the shoulders of supremely talented Sarmad, who eloquently plays Manto." Galaxy Lollywood gave it 4.4 out of 5 stars, calling it "As big of a must watch for every Pakistani as perhaps

Jamil Dehlavi Jamil Dehlavi ( ur, جمیل دہلوی) (born 1944) is a London-based independent film director and producer of Pakistani- French origin. Since he became a filmmaker in the 1970s, his work has been widely screened internationally, notable films ...

's ''

Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

'' was."

Accolades

TV series

In 2012, before developing the film, a TV series based on the life and literary work of Saadat Hassan Manto, titled ''Main Manto'', was made. It had a total of 20 episodes and was made with the same cast and production as the film. Both the film and the television series were directed by Sarmad Khoosat, who also played the title character. Playwright

served as a screenwriter and Babar Javed produced the serial and film under A & B Entertainment at Geo Films. The series was scheduled to release in 2012, but was put on hold for the film production. Later it aired in November 2017 on

with 18 episodes.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manto 2015 films 2015 biographical drama films Pakistani biographical drama films Films about writers Films based on television series Drama films based on actual events Films set in Karachi Films set in Lahore Geo Films films Films set in 1934 Films set in 1955 Films directed by Sarmad Khoosat Saadat Hasan Manto 2015 comedy films 2015 drama films 2010s Urdu-language films