Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Nandita Das discuss Saadat Hasan Manto with RJ Sayema | Live at Jashn-e-Rekhta

Nandita Das and Nawazuddin Siddiqui sit with RJ Sayema for a candid discussion on bringing Saadat Hasan Manto to the cinema. They talk about the spirit of Manto. Writing in simple everyday language, like white chalk on a blackboard, to expose hypocrisy without decoration. Nawazuddin shares the Manto Effect. The role pushed him into a blunt honesty that started spilling into real life, creating friction and controversy. Nandita explains why the film stays focused on the Partition years 1946 to 1950, and why Manto’s questions on religious identity, national belonging, and the status of women still feel current. They also speak about the grind of recreating 1940s Lahore and working under the shadow of censorship.