by Subhojit Sanyal Directed by: Anup Singh Starring: Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome, Tisca Chopra How far will you go to make sure that your lineage continues long after you are gone? That your blood still courses through the veins of your descendants, that you do not fade into obscurity without at least offering some sort …
Truth comes with its consequences and that is what happened with Manto too. The pain, agony and shame that he tried to reveal by stripping the unnecessary covers were assumed to be obscene by the society. Manto faced trials in Indian and Pakistan for obscenity for Dhua, Bu, Kaali Salwaar, Khol do, Dhanda Gosht and Upar Neeche Darmiyaan. To all the controversy, Manto’s answer was straight-forward:
“If you cannot bear these stories then the society is unbearable. Who am I to remove the clothes of this society, which itself is naked. I don’t even try to cover it, because it is not my job, that’s the job of dressmakers.”
― Saadat Hasan Manto
Yes, in plural. Between 1835 and 1947, the borders of Bengal have been redrawn five times. Till 1835, the administrative control of northwest Provinces, covering most of what is now Uttar Pradesh and Arakan Hills were run by the Bengal Presidency. These were split off, with Arakan becoming a part of Myanmar. Again, in 1874, …
Though made in 1988, Tamas needs to be screened again, over all channels, since the message of the story is perhaps far more relevant now than it was then.
I am sure this is a matter of debate and discussion that has been doing its rounds for over decades in both India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. For many, the Partition may have satisfied the political ambitions of a select few, but if the idea was that people of different religions would live in peace thereafter, …