There is a gap, a curious distance, between the vision and the execution, and much of the film, including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, resides in it.

Nawaduddin Siddiqui and Rasika Dugal deliver internalised performances in director Nandita Das’ biopic.

Director Nandita Das beautifully stitches five of the famous Urdu author’s short stories into the narrative of his life’s definitive five-year period

It’s a film that will make you think, hurt you and will bring you back to your ideals. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has stripped himself of all the apprehensions and has dived into Manto’s world with unmatched energy, wit and personality. Far from Wasseypur, he has transformed into a writer who has lost everything in the No Man’s Land between India and Pakistan.

Be a part of his poignant, heart-breaking journey.

Manto is quite realistic in terms of changing dynamics of a relationship – be it friendship, marriage or even life as a whole. That is truly the crux and the best part of the film – because it stays true to what life as a whole is – bunch of roses with thorns.

If Manto, the film, falls short of being a masterpiece, it’s ironically because Nandita Das the filmmaker does not quite crack the Manto code herself: she doesn’t quite see her subject with the same wholeness that Manto saw his people. ‘
‘This imperfection in the film, in a way, becomes the greatest tribute to Manto

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Phenomenally Good As The Anguished Writer…Nandita Das’ film can be described as the Garam Hawa of our times

Watch the film for the director’s flawless interweaving of Manto’s poignant writing into her script and watch it for the words — spoken and unspoken.

This is a sketchy biopic, which might resonate with those who are already familiar with Manto’s life and want to see it enacted on celluloid.

But for those who are unaware of him and his work, “Manto” isn’t an ideal introduction to the celebrated writer.

If biopics or Manto float your boat, check this one out.

Nandita Das film is a brilliant portrait of a self-destructive creator…

Nandita retains this honesty, and even celebrates it. She also spells out the consequences brutally. Her latest piece of work may not be for the masses, but that in no way robs her film of any merit

The film will appeal to people who love history and are well-versed with Manto’s writings. The film enables you to travel back in time as cinematographer Kartik Vyas’s lens captures and recreates the era replete with sepia tones to perfection. The atmospheric lighting further adds to the authenticity.
The mellifluous and mournful score by Zakir Hussain imparts an interesting dimension to the narrative.
Overall, Manto, rooted in history, is a treat to watch.

Nandita Das’ film underlines the continued relevance of Manto’s words whether to do with Hindu-Muslim unity or freedom of expression. Most of all, it’s about his aching love for a city he felt most at home in.