Manto

2018

1h 52m

Biography

Drama

TRAILER

for Manto: TIFF Trailer

List

74%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

In the 1940s, Indo-Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto's artistic choices are challenged by censors.

Read More

Read Less

seaweed M

The film depicts the author's concern for the warmth and coldness of reality, interspersed with the images of his works, and condenses the crimes he satirizes. With the partition of India and Pakistan as the background, it tells the insignificant individuals in the grand reality.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I particularly liked how Manto's stories were related to his own experiences. While I very much liked nawazuddin's acting, his accent was pure UP Urdu speaking accent. Manto was from Amritsar and must have had an accent closer to Punjabi speaking people.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie a true work of art. Poetic in structure and script, as it seamlessly takes you through Manto's life and verse - intertwined in the most powerful, beautiful way. Every performance is exceptional - especially Nawaz and Rasika. It was fun and touching to see famous faces punctuating the stories. I have to single out Gurdas Maan, this movie reminded me after many years what an underrated treasure he is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What a brilliant film. Manto's stories are beautifully interwoven into the film. The directing is world class, the cast and crew have done a superb job, from the filming to the music and art direction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This the most significant movie of our times.. Freedom of speech, opinion and expression is primary to human existence, the core of the movie aligns with this thought. A must watch movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved certain aspects of some tight shots. Overall movement of camera was good. I loved the seamless transition to his stories which seemed like seeing from his eyes (POV). I didn't like the editing. Background score was too standard. Nawazuddin was spectacular. Dialogue writing (I know it is Manto's writing) was thought provoking and witty. Pace was a bit off. Didn't feel a continuous stream of consciousness that flowed through the movie. Did make me want to read Manto though since certain thoughts were extremely powerful.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Nandita Das

Director

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Saadat Hasan Manto

Rasika Dugal

Safia

Tahir Raj Bhasin

Sunder Shyam

Javed Akhtar

Abid Ali Abid

Shashank Arora

Shad Amritsari

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

80%

62%

Mary Kom

70%

%

The Lord of the Ants

20%

46%

Thackeray

100%

93%

Shahid

22%

47%

Azhar

TRAILER

for Azhar

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Manto: TIFF Trailer

2:08

View more videos

View more photos

Aparita Bhandari

Globe and Mail

Unfortunately Nandita Das's sophomore directorial venture Manto serves neither as a primer on the (in)famous author, nor offers any deeper insight to those familiar with his oeuvre.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 7, 2018

Full Review

Radheyan Simonpillai

NOW Toronto

Das's respectful biopic is elegantly directed and features terrific performances. But it's a slog recounting Manto's ordeals.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 6, 2018

Full Review

Maggie Lee

Variety

"Manto" is elegant and old school, epic without losing sight of the personal.

May 19, 2018

Full Review

Anna M.M. Vetticad

Firstpost

Nandita Das makes her Manto a stirring, sensitive portrait of a tortured genius from an era seemingly long past yet tragically mirroring our troubled present.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 11, 2021

Full Review

Poulomi Das

Arré

Going in, I'd expected Manto to provoke and make a statement at every opportunity. What I got instead, was an unflinching portrait of a man who despised taking the middle road.

Mar 11, 2019

Full Review

J Hurtado

ScreenAnarchy

Manto is an engrossing experience and one that finds itself perhaps more relevant today than it might've been even ten years ago.

Oct 4, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

In the 1940s, Indo-Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto's artistic choices are challenged by censors.

Director: Nandita Das
Producer: Sanjeevkumar Nair
Screenwriter: Nandita Das
Production Co: Nandita Das Initiatives, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Filmstoc, HP Studios
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: Hindi
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 22, 2020
Runtime: 1h 52m