Manto

Devil's Advocate | Hindi cinema's depiction of the writer is ludicrous — but that's how authors want to see themselves on screen

The portrayal of the writer in both Gehraiyaan and Bestseller are simultaneously hilarious and the fantasy land most authors are dying to get to. Either way, the joke is on them.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: 'The day characters are especially written for me, my growth will stall'

Ahead of the International Emmy Awards on 22 November, Nawazuddin Siddiqui discusses his nominated performance from Serious Men, his fears as an actor, and his favourite performance of self, in an exclusive interview.

Lihaaf movie review: Rahat Kazmi's adaptation lacks the fire of Ismat Chugtai's story

What Ismat Chugtai's short story had in abundance, — a pressing need to reveal difficult truths through beautifully crafted metaphors — is what Rahat Kazmi's adaptation falls short of, despite staying ardently faithful to the source material.

Through Manto, how Nandita Das understood fence-sitters better, and employed cinema to evoke empathy

Only a year since her film Manto (2018) took her across the world to a myriad festivals and meets, Nandita Das is on the road yet again, with Saadat Hasan continuing to keep her faithful company. Firstpost catches up with the actor-director turned writer in Kolkata, and talks about her journey with Manto, her politics, and the only kind of people she wishes to engage with at present.

Books of the week: From Jeet Thayil's Low to Nandita Das' Manto and I, Indian books to look forward to in 2020

Our roundup of 10 Indian books releasing in 2020 that should be on your radar.

Rasika Dugal says it was refreshing to headline a project like Out of Love: Always wanted to play the protagonist

Rasika Dugal says she always wanted to play the lead characters in all her films/projects, like Manto, Hamid, Mirzapur, and Delhi Crime.

Rasika Dugal on the 'long and short' of it: How the actress moved from small projects to big roles, while getting her due

Over the last year, Rasika Dugal has received rave reviews for her performances in Manto, Lust Stories, Once Again, Hamid, Made In Heaven and Delhi Crime. Rasika confesses, however, that she struggles with choosing which project to take up next because prioritising and strategising are not her strong suits.

Tahir Raj Bhasin's method involves drawing inspiration from real life, and blending it with a little bit of himself

Tahir Raj Bhasin speaks to Firstpost about how his Chhicchore character, Derek, led a college life that was very different from his own, and his reaction on meeting Sunil Gavaskar for his upcoming film, 83.

Reading Fikr Taunsvi's The Sixth River in 2019: Searing account of horrors of Partition resonates even today

The first-person account of the Partition by Fikr Taunsvi, titled The Sixth River: A Journal from the Partition of India, refers to the five rivers of Punjab, to which a sixth river, that of ‘fire and blood’, was added during that bloody period. Maaz Bin Bilal’s translation brings this stunning account to readers in English, and does so at a time when those histories are repeating themselves.

Making of Manto: Behind the scenes of the Saadat Hasan biopic

In conversation with the art director, costume designer and casting director — the architects of the world of Manto, directed by Nandita Das