Known for his honest, bold, and thought-provoking short stories, Saadat Hasan Manto may have left India in 1947, but his literature has long settled into the burrows and bylanes of this country, particularly in the buzzing metropolis of Mumbai where he spent many years trying to earn a living, alongside befriending struggling young actors and experiencing the intricacies of life that would eventually reflect in his writing.
While a huge part of Manto’s Bombay has been organically erased with time and the need to move forward no matter what, some of it still exists—recognisable only by the experts but welcoming everyone who passes by. Mumbai Research Centre of the Asiatic Society is organising an entire day in honour of the city that provided the Hindi-Urdu writer with the perfect muse. ‘Celebrating Manto’—being held on 10th August (Friday)—begins with a two-hour long walk through Manto’s Bombay, followed by an interesting lineup of events including a talk by actor and filmmaker Nandita Das, whose eponymous biopic starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui is expected to release soon.
While the registrations for the walk, which will be led by Rafique Bhagdadi—a journalist and Manto-aficionado, have already been closed, the registrations for the events following it are still open. The events will begin at 3 pm with a series of short story readings and talks by Devendra Mohan and Dr. Paromita Chakrabarti. The closing act for the day will be a talk by Nandita Das on “The Journey Of Making Manto”.
If you want to attend the talks, you can register on the spot. For more information and details, visit their website.
Feature Image Courtesy: www.nanditadas.com
If you enjoyed this article, we suggest you read: