Nawazuddin Siddiqui Transforms Himself As Manto for a New Short Film

Nandita Das’ latest short film In Defence Of Freedom features Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the controversial writer Sadat Hassan Manto. The film gives a glimpse into Manto’s strong beliefs about freedom of speech in a democracy as Siddiqui is seen addressing a classroom, speaking on the importance of speaking up.

The short film premiered at the recently concluded India Today conclave and later was shared on Twitter by Siddiqui himself.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui had earlier shared a first look of his character on Twitter. Dressed in a simple white kurta-pajama, wearing thick black frame glasses, the actor looked exactly like the late author.

Saadat Hasan Manto was a fierce man who lived on his own terms, with no care for social dogmas. He was irreverent and had an irrepressible desire to poke a finger in the eye of the establishment, often with sharp humour. Which is why a biopic on him holds relevance in today’s times, where right to express is often curtailed by the system.

The short film, perhaps, gives a glimpse to the poignant film that the director-actor duo are working on. The film also features Shashank Arora and Rasika Dugal.