“Are we free in true sense?” asks Manto

Wednesday was a day of first looks and trailer launches. Besides Pataakha, the trailer of the much-awaited film Manto, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was also released on August 15. 

Helmed by noted actress-filmmaker Nandita Das, the film traces the life of writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Instead of celebrating Independence, the trailer insists you to introspect. What does freedom really mean? Are we free in true sense? The trailer begins with Nawazuddin Siddiqui raising questions which are as relevant today as they were 70 years ago, when the poet was alive. 

Manto, standing in a courtroom questions why he can’t tell/write the truth as it is, and explains that his stories are a mirror of society. The trailer showcases Manto as a straight forward man who doesn’t shy away from mirroring the realities of life and speaking against what is wrong. It is slated to release on September 21.