Riots : : Time to Adapt Manto’s stories on screen !
Riots are bad spots on the face of humanity. People leave humanity during riots and follow homicide on a large scale.
People of different religion keep hate towards other religions and during difficult times this hatred increases the destruction multifold. Indian subcontinent has faced many religious riots. Around a million people were killed in the riots during partition only.
[1] Rioters !
————————When they,
become weak as human being,
become empty inside,
then fear starts generating inside them,
snake of hate starts filling the poison
inside their minds,
violence starts giving them support then,
thirst of blood starts generating inside their heart,
and then instead of red flowers
roads, coloured with wet red blood
start giving them peace,
in such times when
their eyes are covered with
curtains of religious hatred,
animal instinct over powers them
and they become blind to see
women, going to be widows,
parents, going to lose their children,
children, going to lose parental shelter,
then they start fearing women, old and sick people also,
and they start looking enemies in
the children also,
children who can’t even know the
meaning of religion,
they treat children as poisonous snake’s children then,
and children should not bite after growing up
so they try to destroy the childhood also,
rioters behave like this only,
rioters are like this only.
[2] Riots and religion !
————————————–What the hell!
place is vacant,
who will be killed now?
how women will be disgraced?
everybody’s mind started burning with frustration
“Plunder the homes and burn everything”
Their leader had shouted,
“Bastards have run away”.
Then a dog came out of a house
barking out of fear,
“Ohh this bastard dog barks on us,
he eats in the homes of other religionwalla,
kill the bastard” shouted someone,
and stones, bricks, rods and sticks fell on the
animal that is famous all over world for his devotion.
They walked away
to quench their thirst of hate and violence
somewhere else,
leaving behind,
samples of destruction and
dead body of the dog,
hidden below stones and bricks,
and a question,
Do animals also have religion like human being?
[3] Riots and aftermath !
—————————————Time has gone
when they had come,
disturbing the peace of night,
armed with knives, swords, pistols,
rods, sticks etc,
their eyes were filled with hate,
faces were tensed with anger,
violent show went on for whole night,
inhuman people went away
shouting slogans,
leaving behind,
burning homes and shops,
and roads, streets and floors filled with fresh blood,
and destroyed dead bodies of killed people,
and old people staring bodies of their children with shattered eyes,
and young people searching bodies of their partners,
and freshly orphaned children who
had no realization that
now no parents w’d be there to fulfil their demands
……
Some more time passed,
and it was commotion all over,
this was time for elections,
sky was resounding with slogans, promises and offers,
walls were covering with posters,
some special people took oath
on the name of integrity of the nation
they said they would die for the nation,It seemed for a moment that everything would be fine
but peaceful time is not a permanent element like death
……………….
ruling party is corrupt!
opposition is trying to befool people!
accusations – counter accusations !some events at some other place,
took form of communal riots,
animals in the form of inhuman people came again
armed with weapons,
faces and religion of killers were changed,
faces, religion and names of killed were also changed,
if something was not changed then,
it was the colour of blood,
and cruelty of rioters playing
the game of killing
and greedy, lusty nature of sinners
………
atmosphere was similar again
government fell..
Elections..
Votes…
swear in ceremonies…
faces were changed here also.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Hindi cinema has tried to cover riots but such films can be counted on fingers.
M S Sathyu’s Garam Hawa, Shyam Benegal’s Mammo, Govind Nihalani’s Tamas and Dev, Aparna Sen’s Mr and Mrs Aiyer, Rahul Dholakia’s Parzania and Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday are few of the films where riots and mentality of rioters have been explored.
Famous urdu author Sadat Hassan Manto had tried to explore deeply the area of riots. He tried to point out the animal behaviour of human beings during riots. First level of riots happens where violence against different religionwala happens. But later in every riot, women of other religions are made target. By doing Sexual violence against women of other religion, rioters think that they can break the moral and mental strength of opposition.
They hate people of different religion and in normal times they don’t want to touch them but they don’t feel any hitch to touch women of other religion. This is strange and it has been happening since time immemorial.
A person may be suffering from superiority complex of having superior cast, religion, colour and race but he will not mind having sex with women of the so called inferior category than him.
And during riots men even forget self imposed criteria of age, beauty and condition. There has to be some connection between sexual desire and violence.
Manto had tried to explore the psyche behind this sexual violence. His stories were termed as infamous because he tried to enter into an otherwise taboo subject. But now is the time when cinema can utilize the works of Manto.
His stories have world class appeal.
His two stories which have been given adjectives of most infamous stories in Hindi/Urdu literature can be adapted now on screen.
[1] Thanda Gosht (Cold flesh)
This is a story of a truck driver and his wife. They have good physique and they have been enjoying sex too much. Man often used to say that his wife is a real woman and she also thinks that he is just wonderful. Their lives are going fine. Once man is disappeared for some days.
When he comes back he is bit depressed and feeling low. She asks him what is the matter but he says some excuses and tries to change the topic.
She tries to allure him and he also tries to play with her body. His foreplays go on and on and she is aroused but tired also with his ongoing activities.
He is tired and he tries hard but he does not get arousal and falls down on bed like a dead body.
She asks him what is the matter and if he had been to some whore during the days when he was away?
He denies.
She insists on knowing the real matter and after some time he starts telling his story.During recently happened riots he also attacked a family and kills every male member of that family. There he saw a beautiful girl. He also wanted to kill her but she was so beautiful that he thought first he should enjoy sex with her and later he should kill her.
So he took her away on his shoulders and went to a river side place.He says to his wife,” First I thought that first I should play a little with her body before I enter into the final act. But then I ignored my playing desires and simply jumped into the final act only”.
His wife is listening with a lump in her throat. He pauses and he is shivering and she shakes him and asks,”what happened then”?
He says with difficulty,” She was dead. It was a dead body…. A cold flesh. Please hold my hands”.
She holds his hands which were colder than ice.
Due to sexual content people have been avoiding this wonderful story which exposes sick mentality of human being. Story slaps on the ugly face of humanity and this story should be told through visual medium.
An apt screen play is needed so that film does not become only sex based sleazy film but works on psychological ground on a deeper level.
Other reservation against the story could be this that Manto was a muslim and he had written story having sikh characters Eshwar Singh and Kulwant Kaur. So naturally a sikh character attacks and kills a muslim family and takes away the girl of the family.
In past this subject could be controversial. But rioters have no religion and so many muslims might have done same with Hindu and sikh families what Eshwar Singh does in the story with a muslim family.
It’s not necessary that religion of the characters have to be kept as such. There is possibility to keep abstract names of abstract characters. But story should be shown visually.
Considering the assumption that Shekhar Kapoor does not make hindi films anymore, otherwise he can do wonders with this story and other story of Manto.
A real literary author should provide the screen play or Gulzar Saab should work on screen play. Names of three directors come into the mind who can do justice to this story. Gulzar saab himself, Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap and Dr Chandra Prakash Dwivedi.
Tabu is the right actress to play Kalwant Kaur the wife of truck driver Eshwar Singh.
One other name which strikes is Lara Dutta. She also may portray a Panjabi woman with flair. She has shown her skills in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
Role, if played well may, will carry actress in the category of world class actresses.
For Eshwar Singh either Irfan Khan or Abhishek Bachchan or Manoj Bajpai.
Hope actors in India have become mature enough to see the importance of the story and they don’t fear in playing such characters.
[2] Khol do (Open it)
A family is migrated to Pakistan from India due to riots and during their escape father has lost his daughter. He takes shelter in a camp in Pakistan. He tries hard to search his daughter but she is not found. Days are passed and the search goes on and on.
He requests young people and they promise to search his daughter.
They search her and take her with them but they dont tell old man that his daughter has been found.
He asks them daily and they make some excuses.
One day he finds a clue that a girl has been left by some rioters. Girl is brutally mass raped and she is taken to a health care unit.
She is unconscious.When old man visits her. She is lying there half or unconscious.
Somehow Doctor says the words,” Khol do” ( to open the window) and unconscious girl opens the knot of her Shalwar and slides it down.
She is lying there naked and her father screams, ” My daughter is alive”. Doctor is standing there ashamed and stunned.
That is the stage when reader does not understand, he should cry and shed tears on such pathetic condition of the girl or he should be filled with rage against violent vultures, who have destroyed the life of an innocent girl. Her so called savers become tools for her destruction.
Again this story slaps tightly on the ugly face of humanity and exposes violent, frustrated and hateful face of human being.
Same directors mentioned above can handle this sensitive story.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Above mentioned two stories provide raw material to make films of international standard. Any person anywhere in the world will pass through “goose bump” condition after reading the stories or watching the films based on these stories.
Manto has done his job. Now its up to filmmakers to exploit his work.
Tags: Abhishek Bachchan, Anurag Kashyap, Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, gulzar, Irfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Manoj Bajpai, Manto, shekhar kapur, Tabbu, Vishal Bhardwaj
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
@Vishrant,
when everything is already burning everywhere then why leave screen only?
Sex in sleazy form has already occupied Hindi cinema, let it be used in meaningful manner.
Let it serve some thing substantial.
Please cover teesri kasam via Iview:)That will be interesting. A nice film.
kya bat hai
manto parde per, aag lag jayegi.
he is hard hitting.
i absolutely agree with you. it is about time.
just in the context.
i am reminded of ‘teesri kasam’
the most authentic adoption of a literary work in hindi cinema.
somebody should cover ‘teesri kasam’ here. a classic.
:d
yes why not.
let’s see who dares.
i pass the responsibility to cover teesri kasam on some able shoulders. like srrhari, subrat. if i try it is forgone conclusion that it will be a mess.
:((
Vishrant,
ohh man, you always can go for three trials.
Dont take impression before three trials:)
:d
[-x
wait a minute
you did cover madhumati beautifully
>:/
:p
no vishram condition Vishrant. No escape unless you cover Teesri kasam.
you will wake up from sleep many times till you start writing.
Paan khayo sanya,
sajan re jhoot mat bolo,
chalat musafir moh liyo re
all the songs will be resounding in your ears all the time.
and you cant over come this white magic.
only your iview post will esxtricate you. Thats the cure of this new disease.
thanda ghost starts with titillation but then once u finsh it,u dont remember it…goes into complete differnt territory. RK, u can include two more riot stories here…dont remember the titles but one is about the muslim man who boards the local train and kills another muslim man thinking he is hindu. the backdrop is again riots. and the other about the family which migrates from pakistan to india and on the way face the tragedy. four small stories can be put tother. like guptaji tried with dus kahaniyaan.
Nice article …
RK,
You yourself should try making these films. (If not on a large scale, a short film.)
AWESOME RK
Thanks for the tip.
Just finished reading a translation of Thanda Ghosht. The translation was terrible but the last line were still chilling.
“But rioters have no religion and so many muslims might have done same with Hindu and sikh families what Eshwar Singh does in the story with a muslim family.
It’s not necessary that religion of the characters have to be kept as such. There is possibility to keep abstract names of abstract characters. But story should be shown visually.”
True. How about doing four or five different adaptations of the story, each in the context of a different riot, with a different couple and posssibly a different ending? Mumbai ‘92-93, Delhi ‘84, Gujarat ‘02, Kashmir ’90s…
I had read Khol Do in an anthology and it shook me to the core. Manto’s stories are truly universal.
Hey Ram pictured this aspect better than many other movies , I felt. The courage to show the violence as is and as it happened during riots must be lauded. Violence on screen to deter violence on street is anyday preferable compared to deliberate ignorance on taking up subjects like these. Afterall Cinema is the most stunning medium that can reach to the pawns of the riot game.
there was an article by salman rushdie called ‘the east is blue’, while it is not directly related to sexual behaviour during riots, it is pretty direct and insightful of the human sexual behaviour under repression and power.
but i know the mentality of the rioters.
one of the people in my college involved in arya samaj used to say that having sex (better forced) with a muslim woman would be like the ultimate expression of hindu power and he said achieving it would be the ultimate fulfillment of his existence as a hindu.
i always tried to make him understand as he used to be my friend before this conversation, but he would never listen. he would never refute my arguments but only say that all that you talk is idealistic bullshit and u don’t know the real truth because u don’t belong to the streets etc. etc. the sad part was that the same kind of reasoning was also given to me on pfc as well in a previous discussion.
the irony is that in terms of behaviour all the rioters belonging to any xyz organization/ religion/ etc. seem like blood brothers. they all think in exactly the same way.
stamping your sexual supremacy is the main reason for such behaviour. i also read a study where they showed that most of the rioters came from sexually repressed backgrounds. so i guess there is a very strong connection between sex and violence. surely must be the hormonal thing.
Way back I had read Manto’s book on Hindi film Industry. I think its name was ‘Gossip’ still find it hard to believe the shocking incidents from the lives of Sitara Devi and Mehboob Khan. And, yes, reading ‘Khol Do’ was a disturbing experience…still get shivers…it hounds you.
I guess (if he is adapted into movies)starts will need psychiatric treatment to come out of the characters…playing them would be very demanding and mentally tiring.
Nice article RK. I think I should find more of Manto and read them.
manish jha’s very very silent film seems to be a “tribute” to “thanda gosht”
Nice post…I remember reading these stories. I had a book on short stories of Manto on Partition. A collection of these kind of stories. Lots of stories I remember vaguely but do not remember the names.
I remember thanda gosht and toba tek singh very clearly.
Think Manoj Bajpai will fit the role best.
@vasanbala(16)
How can I watch that film?
Manto ka zikra.. and no reference to Toba Tek Singh?.. Though Thanda Gosht and Khol Do are more voilent stories, I believe Toba Tek Singh is the most potential story of Manto that can be made into a film.. and if “No Mans Land” can win an oscar, Toba Tek Singh has much more fire, drama, humor and satire in terms of content.. Would love to see getting it turned in to a film.. and who else but Om Puri saab playing Bishan singh..
“Opad di gud gud di moong di dal di laltain di Hindustan te Pakistan di dur fitey munh.”
Toba Tek Singh…couldn’t agree more.
Letters to Uncle Sam:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2006/07/saadat-hasan-mantos-letters-to-uncle.html
Have read only Toba Teksingh…
http://www.sacw.net/partition/tobateksingh.html
very good story to make film.
should search for other stories of Manto.:)
Pinjar was excellent adaptation from literature
also having background of riots at the time of partition.
@ Phonix –
dont remember the titles but one which “is about the muslim man who boards the local train and kills another muslim man thinking he is hindu.” – thats by Gulzar . one of his stories in Ravi Paar
and the partiotion story of a young couple with children migrating to india from Pakisttaan is one of the stories in the Play – kharashien written by gulzar and directed by Salim Arif.
a gut wrenching story that one is.
@Jaiganesh – couldnt agree more. The riots in Hey Ram were brilliantly captured. But for ‘Talaiva’ Kamal hassan’s indulgence in places, the film is a masterpiece.
@Pavan – Toba Tek Singh – Om puri BINGO !!! Wat a fabolous casting
@RK sahib -Thank u sooooooooooooooooo much for this revisitng of manto. I love manto’s writings. He’s the original ‘rant’ writer for me. Brings out realism absolutly ruthlessly and in a very shameless fashion. “Sachchai ko nanga karke aapkey saamne ley aata hai woh insaan.” (he brings out the naked truth and keeps it for u to feed on).
There is another more ‘film’ like story – the one called Khuda Key Vaastey. It doesnt touch upon riots but upon the freedom struggle and how in the process of striving for something, in overzealousness, we make false promises and betra our inner human essence. Told in classic black humor, it is one of my favs. I had adapted it and written a play called “For GOD’s sake” for my younger brother’s college festival. The play did badly but I was happy to have given a miniscule tribute in my own selfish way to a towering giant of hindi-urdu literature. How i wish manto had not gone to pakistan, how i wish he had stayed back … how i wish manto had not fallen prey to alcoholism and poverty.
(P.S – the play also had a tribute of sorts to Anurag Kashyap ;-) as it was set in futuristic political delhi, contained traces of Gulal and Allwyn Kalicharan)
Other of my favs are Bu (Odour) and Tetwaal Da Kutta. TDK can surely be made into a short film !!! Brilliant satire it is. And what can get more real than Bu ???
Of course Thanda Ghosht and Khol Do are typical spine chilling Manto.
Manto’s fav topics were prostitutes, riots, partition, hindu – muslim relationships and film industry.
Here’s a wishlist, THERE DESERVES TO BE A FILM MADE ON PARTITION INCORPORATING MANTO’S STORIES ON PARTITION AND HIS TONGUE IN CHEEK BLACK HUMOR. Probably Kundan Shah/Sudhir mishra/Aziz mirza should direct it. There should be a BLACK COMEDY ON partition !!!
Inshallah soon.
Manto sahib amar rahein !!!
@13 KJ,
Arya Samaj has nothing to do with your friends’ view. Please refrain from such loose references.
RK sir, thanks for throwing light on Manto’s work. In a way you have helped me!
@KK…oh teri..sahi sahi…shit i mixed d two. but let Manto n Gulzar come together. dont think anyone would complain. i was waiting for ur comment n mention of tetwal da kutta. knew that wud come 4 sure.
tribute…???? thats plagiarism!!!:d;):-w
@amit…compltly agree with u man. arya samaj doesnt tell people to go that away.
@KJ…plz tell ur freind to go back n read sathyarth prakash once before talking about arya samaj. dont know who is teaching him what. among various hindu communitites, i think it has the most progressive outlook.
It will be tough putting it on screen..its graphic!
@Satya (14)
I think book orginally was titled as Ganjey Farishte and in India it has been publishing with the title Meena Bazar ( may be to escape royalty matter) ;)
Sitara Devi perhaps had married to K Asif. so that memoir was related with them and not with Mehboob Khan. Manto’s memoirs about film stars should not be taken word to word. He might have spiced them with his own feelings toward them.
Normally he tried to write a negative description of every film star but on other hand he wrote only good things about Jinnah and though in reality he had never met him.
Moreover what young people say to each other in their leisurly time can never be criteria to judge them. Manto’s description of Ashok Kumar’s saying about Meena Kumari etc comes in that category only. It is one other form of yellow journalism.
Such books get readership but they dont have any literary value.
We can see this trend in writings of Balwant Gargi (Naked Triangle) and Taslima Nasreen and many other writers also.
Manto was not a unidimensional writer or a person even. Many contradictions are there in his living style also. It is very much possible that with whoever he was angry he wrote negative about them.
If Sitara Devi was such a bomb then it is very much possible that a writer like Manto also tried for her and he did not get success;)
His fiction writing has much more weightage.
There should not be any fear for any actor playing characters. In normal life inside mind people pass through even more disturbing thoughts.
People have come too ahead of that time when stories were written.
Easily actors will digest these characters.
Jealousy, hate, fear etc in day to day life provoke many bizzare thoughts. Not all are monks that will always be trying to think only positively.
@Phoenixnu (7),
I remember reading these stories, but do they belong to Manto? I have faint memory about two stories, you are mentioning.
There are many stories dealing with Hindu muslim riot angle.
One is perhaps by Premchand, I think, where a boy first take shelter in a temple and in later years in a mosque. That story provides very good material to send people in to the deep thinking.
2-3 more stories of manto can be included. Now its right time to bring Manto on screen. Through news channel people watch more gory pictures on screen then Manto has mentioned in his stories.
This is true 3-4 short stories can be clubbed in the time which is used to show a full length feature film in India where there is no story at all.
Gupta Ji simply was not interested in making a good film but only in making a film having 10 stories, hence selection of such average and often below average stories and execution was even more bad.
Gulzar saab’s poems were simply far above the standard of these shorties. So bad acting, direction, everything was just below average. One story which raised its head above water was having Amrita Singh in it. Its execution was ok. Actinegwise, Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah being so good actors saved the level of performances in the entire show.
Film seemed only to encash the idea. the first to include 10 stories in a single film!
DD used to maintain more standard than this experiment of Dus Kahaniyan.
BR Chopra’s Khazana, then Ek Kahani and Ranjeet Kapoor’s Chekhov Ki Dunia, Gulzar saab’s Premchand’s stories etc had far superior versions of short stories on screen than Gupta ji’s Das Kahaniyan.
Idea is good to assimilate few short stories in one film.
@Raj R (8),
Thanks for your comment.
Hum honge kamyab ek din…
man mein hai vishwas…:)
To make a film is not as independent activity as writing about something. and when dependency comes in to the picture then several factors come in to existence and these multiple angles may have centre of gravity at a point which may be far in the dimention of Time.
But surely something has to happen.
@Vasan (9)
thanks for comment.:)
Mithun (10),
Universal appeal of some of the Manto’s writing is absolutely true. Like his life his writings is also inconsistent but some of them are simply in the category of great literature.:)
@Sheikhchilli (11),
Where did you read translation of Thanda Gosht?
Yes in translation, real impact, which original Urdu story makes can be diluted. The physical activities and related dialogues between Eshwar and Kulwant may take different shape in translation though in original writer has written them in a very raw and brutal manner. There is lack of delicacy or say feminine description which normally writers opt while describing scenes having physical intimacy. Manto does not decorate these scenes with euphemism and symbolic words and simply use very ordinary words used in day to day spoken language.
Religious identity of Characters can be taken away by making them abstract. 3-4 adaptations of same story can be a tiring job but 3-4 different stories dealing with different aspects of riots can make an interesting united film. Different characters at different times, in different situations face riots or they are involved in the riots.
Every riots have different character. 84’s riot can have different history than 93 and 2002’s riots. One thing remains common that is brutal killing of people and goons take advantage of the situation.
@Jai Ganesh (12),
Hey Ram is a powerful film. Riots in Culcutta were shown with great cinematic skills. Delhi riots were more drama based. But because of apt dialogues Delhi riot was also handled in good manner. It was a good film.
@KJ (13)
East became blue because of continuous attacks from outsiders. East has faced these attacks since centuries. They were not going out to attack on others and hence that hypothesis is wrong.
Blue eyes in to subcontinent came from that attack. From Megasthanese to Al Baruni have mentioned that ancient Indians were very happy among themselves only. This sexual violence was not there. It was imposed on indians by outsiders. Thats why conditions of women changed in due course of time. They went in to background, behind the curtains. That was one defense.
Soldiers away from family for years, and no moral control or ideology of their leaders, all conditions affected their behaviour in India.
Middle age attacks insisted on sexual violence more. They attacked on religious freedom of inhabitants of India also because ideologically they are different. If one does not leave freedom for other to follow his own path then clash is essential. One cant avoid it for long time.
There have been developed counter reactionaries over the years but Arya Samaj never advocated any such thing which you are mentioning. They may like or dislike something but they never advocated violence and sexual violence against women of different religion has never been mentioned by any of its prominent leader. At one time they tried to close the gap between Hindu and muslims.
—-
sexual violence against women by powerful men is a subject of study. Sometimes its used to just demean the women and to break their moral and mental strength. Like waht was done with Bhanwari Devi comes in that category. She was victimised, not because she was a very beautiful woman and many wanted to overpower her but she had dared to stand against the corrupt powerful people.
In personal enmity also people follow this trend.
Men find it easy to target women of opposite side as then by doing easy things they can demoralize opposition. Sexual violence does not need any kind of bravery but only opportunity, hence all kind of cowards go for this.
@sarang (15) Thanks for your comment. surely you must get them and read them. It will enrich your reading experience and understanding about diffilcult situations also, which humanity often faces.
@Vasan (16) Which film?
@Neerja (17)
Thanks for comment. Ya Toba Tek Singh is also a good material.
Manoj Bajpai has already played a character during riots time in Pinjar. The relationship between husband and wife, can be taken as repetition of Satya’s characters (Bheekhu and his wife, though there it was asexual but shades can be same) and I may be wrong but Manoj Bajpai lack this art that he cant excell in a character he has already played. He excels when he plays it first time. Perhaps he gets boredom very easily and perhaps he lacks in this art where an actor can make differentiation between his two characters belonging to almost similar shade.
Thats why Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan and Nasseruddin Shah and Om Puri and Pankaj Kapoor have been better actors than others. They may always give their best in repetitive roles also.
Irfan Khan has not worked in such stories and Abhishek’s talent is not fully tapped. Physically these two actors may match the Eshwar Singh.
But this is subjective issue. After reading the story you may visualize Manoj Bajpai, I may visualize other actors and others can imazine other actors.:)
In the end we should get a good film.
@Pavan (19),
Manto ka Jikra aur Toba Tek Singh nadarad, ye bahut na insafi hai.
Toba Tek Singh is like a pure veg dish before Thanda Gosht and Khol Do aur Kali Shalwar aur upar neeche aur darmiyan etc. So I refrained using its name in this post. Toba Tek Singh certainly a nice story. I dont how, but I have faint memory of watching something based on Toba Tek Singh on TV. it could be a play or a tele film.
my personal opinion which may not have any true basis other than feelings – If at present I have to select any actor to play Bishan Singh then it will be either Raghuveer Yadav or Pankaj Kapoor.
OM Puri has surpassed that age and stage and era where he could have made this character so alive before us.
@Tushar (20) Thanks for link of letters.
@Krishn (21) thanks for link to the story Toba Tek Singh
People may enjoy this amazingly funny story which gives satirical slaps on our faces.
@Shailesh (22),
yes Pinjar was a good film. Good performance of Manoj Bajpai, good direction and very good music.
baal khade ho gaye after reading khol do …
great post RK …..
@KK(23),
You seem to be plunging deeply in Manto’s writings:)
Hope this sangat will bring some wonderful material out of your writing in coming future and audience will see that on screen soon.
This is unfortunate face of marketing that Manto’s stories has been selling in India by making captions like “Manto ki badnam kahaniyan”.
Ban over his stories become more bigger issue than his all the stories.
Its also true his writing had a fire and its not easy to bear that heat.
Personal life of a writer and his writing can be very different. Manto also faced this division. When things were going so smooth for him in Bombay he could not see the future clearly and surrendered before immediate disturbed conditions and migrated to Pakistan and faced there very bad days.
Wrong vision and uncontrolled life style ruined his later years.
But whatever he has created in that short span of life is able to suggest about the powerhouse of talent he had in writing.
This is really good to know that you actually wrote a play based on Khuda Ke Vaste.
You are going to do something significant in near future (apart from utilizing your acting talent).
Lage raho
@Manjeet(25),
Its good that something helped you:)
How much is remaining your script ? Hope its almost finished and soon its launched.
@Saurav (27),
Whats graphic in this CNN era where we daily see much brutal and violent scenes through news?
That graphics is mild which is required in the adaptation of the stories. Moreover screen play has to bring balance in different elements. Here comes skills of any director that he selects a story and makes it viable for contemporary audience and situations and regulations.
@Anand (41)
where did you read full story ( Khol Do) or you are impressed with just synopsis? or you have read it in past?
:-?
If you have read it on net, please post the link.
“Hey Ram is a powerful film. Riots in Culcutta were shown with great cinematic skills. Delhi riots were more drama based. But because of apt dialogues Delhi riot was also handled in good manner. It was a good film”
Unless you are a masochist I doubt you can make a film on Hindu-Muslim relations in any serious way in India. Even if you neglect all the commercial risks, various self-appointed guardian outfits can be relied upon to impose themselves on you shamelessly, with one of three aims: (i) to get the film banned; or to have you denounced as (ii) anti-Hindu; or (iii) as anti-Muslim.Hey Ram, was dubiously tagged on all three grounds. Which in my opinion is only a testimony to its multilayered complexity that yet retains its accessibility. One might love or loathe this film, be disturbed by it or be utterly seduced by Kamal’s vision, but such is the access it affords the viewer to what is above all a mindset, and that in turn accesses us, rendering the viewer vulnerable to Kamal’s directorial gaze, that it is impossible to remain unmoved in the face of this film.
RK saahib – inshallah. Thats unfortunate that manto’s ‘badnaam kahaniyan’ will always be more famous than Manto the person and his other equally captivating work. Same for Ismat Chughtai (Lihaaf) unfortunately. She has written some other stuff too which as usual has been ignored. (Lajjo was being made by Mani Sir but now its been put on hold)
By the way, Kali Salwar and some of the stories written by POV of prostituutes are text books on how to treat the subject of ‘prostitutes’ in films…. the more i read the same, the more i realise how challenging it is to put realism into the oft abused character prostitutes by the hindi cinema.
More info on the film wasan was talking about is here below –
“Manish Jha made his name after he got acclaim at Cannes for a short film called A very very silent film. It has a woman so poor she lives on the pavement. She covers herself with a gunni bag in which she collects garbage in the day. That whole night men keep coming inside the gunni bag seeing a lonely woman and keep raping her. Sometime in the morning one of the men discovers she is dead. He goes his own way, and a local constable seeing a lonely woman comes and rapes her not knowing she is dead.”
http://passionforcinema.com/the-fuck-of-the-century/
@French (46),
Directors are actors also, this is different that they may not face the cameras but they have capacity and often bigger capacity than actors to go in to the skin of characters, so they must pass through many phases while making a film and not only masochism. If its required to be masochist they will be for that period till that part is under shooting. If film has part where MCP attitude is shown then they have to take out that part from their own personality or something they have witnessed closely.
Hey Ram was released at a time when political scenario of India was different. Gandhian ways were shown as winner in the end right wing politicians were shown as main culprits behind the conspiracy to kill Gandhi. Hence it was quite obvious that film was not going to get any govt. based patronage. Its bravery of Kamal Hassan that he amde film in that era as per his vision.
But film was not banned also and it was released inspite of all kind of accusations so that suggests the level of tolerance also in society.
Small sectors may voice any thing. When you have a large country then its very much possible. It matters what is the ending of event.
Atleast Hey Ram did not get any cutting. Kamal Hassan did not change anything and he did not take it back like MF Hussain did in Minakshi, just for a song, he took back the film.
He did not stand behind his own product. Kamal is praise worthy, he did not only make the film but stood behind it strongly.
@Kartik (47),
That kind of incidences have actually happened.
Some years ago there was a news in newspaper that a half mad woman was gang raped whole night by students living in the main campus of a hill based university. many other people living there also raped her. She died.
Perhaps some part of those rapists might have also died. Or may be they live with that scary feelings and are dying slowly.
Ismat Chugtai has written many good stories. But she is not as infamous as Manto. She is seen as bold writer and it helps in selling her books.
Here’s the Link….khol do in Hindi :
http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/faculty/taj/hindi/hmanto.htm
@Anand (50)
Thanks for the link.
One song I would love to have in this film ( if made :-D ) : Deewaane Saathiyo, Na Aise Lahu Ki Holi Khelo…Tumhein Kaise Main Ye Bataaoon, Lahu Ye Hamaara Tumhaara……
http://download.yousendit.com/4C1BBA0B0ED0E10A
Wah wah wah !!! it is a superb songs for this “lahu ki holi” theme…from a non film album “O Sweetheart”…..I can help in getting the rights of this song, incase anybody interested
arey yaar all this is very depressing. Since I have only read his stories on partition and riots, I was wondering if there are any happy/optimistic stories by Manto. If yes, names please.
@RK
How about a comprehensive post on Movies based on stories from Hindi Literature?
@kcp
thanks for the song.
something unrelated but an excellent song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yBSeshQmSY
@RK(31)
The translation is available here:
http://www.chowk.com/articles/9261
“Different characters at different times, in different situations face riots or they are involved in the riots.
Every riots have different character.”
You are right. When I was reading the story, two things seemed to stand out. One, the jewelery Eeshwar Singh looted and his wife gleefully accepted. She acknowledges that it was looted. Second, the dead girl, the cold flesh.
The first is symbolic of the greed that allows people to silently consent acts like these. The second symbolises the cold blooded act itself, the unconsented violence that is rarely acknowledged.
The consent here is being given by the wife. Could she be said to be personification of the silent masses, the firebrand leaders and the proud women of these savage men?
The characters could be different but three factors are always there; the greed, the rape and the approvers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/entertainment/story/2005/05/050511_manto_shortstories.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/news/cluster/2005/05/050511_manto_fiftyyears.shtml
@kcp (52)
Thats a good song. Its so nice to listen Amit Kumar’s voice after a long time. has he himself composed this song?
Is this album “O sweetheart ” available?
If you have personal posession and can share it then it will be a big obligation.
Sending you email address also. considering in advance you ahve it and will be willing to share it.
Thanks a lot for sharing the song.:)
@Neerja (53)
Certainly some day.
For some proposed literature based films, please search for “Raag Viraag” post also.
@Sheikhchilli (54),
Thanks for link of translated story.
You are right. This silent consent or tendancy not to protest wrong acts of own people, make scenario worst.
That decoit story is so true where he cuts ears of his mother in the court when he gets capital punishment and he says that she did not stop me when first time in my childhood I had done my first ever stealing. That was small but her silence motivated me.
Here comes importance of Balmiki’s story, where he was asked to confirm from his family if anybody would like to share burden of his bad works also. and he got negative support from his family members.
you Very well took out three common traits -
greed, rape (forced act) and approval .:)
@Shatrughan (56,57)
Thanks for so good links. Very informative links.
Kya haal hai RK ji.
Ismat Chughtai, Manto aur Naseer.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2004101201070100.htm&date=2004/10/12/&prd=mp&
Naseer say’s:
[...]And working on adaptations of Chughtai and Manto can’t be a cakewalk.
Also read:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2006/07/saadat-hasan-mantos-letters-to-uncle.html
Amardeep Singh writes about Manto
@Vinayak,
Ya I had read or heard about Nasser’s theatre endeavours to adapt Ismat Chugtai on stage.
Did not know he has chosen Manto also.
Naseeruddin Shah must have done remarkable with Bu. They should release such plays on VCD/DVD also because commercial people will hardly make films on serious literature.
There may be a good demand of such DVDs.
If we get recording of Tughlaq, Charandas Chor, Godot, Ghasiram Kotwal, Andhayudh etc where big actors of theatre played the roles then it can be something precious to collect.
Perhaps it was not possible then but now in present era its possible.
—
ya Junoon shows mob behaviour in years of 1857. Communal division was bit different than what we see after 1920.
—
You mean a sikh boy and a Parsi girl.
please mention little more details.
Or you are reffering to Guleri’s story “Usne kaha tha” but there boy(lover) saves the husband and son of his childhood lover. and they all are sikh or Jat.
“pari” tpyo ho gaya:)
Yes the story is about a sikh boy and a parsi girl, and if i remember correctly… the story is set in bombay. I read the story more than ten years ago.
-0-
googling around i found:
Stars from Another Sky: The Bombay Film World in the 1940s By Saadat Hasan Manto, Khalid Hasan.
http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2007/10/stars-from-another-sky.html
-0-
Some passages from the book
http://www.hamaraforums.com/index.php?showtopic=23359
toba tek sing
http://www.esnips.com/doc/4a086903-9f2c-49cb-9bdd-90411f02e66c/toba-tek-singh–sa-adat-hasan-manto
@};-
@Vinayak (64,65),
Thank you for the link. Had read this book in some years ago.
—
Cant recall the story of Sikh Boy and Parsi girl from your little clue.:(
@Vishrant,
Thanks for the link.:)
RK,
The name of the story is
Mozail
Even if Amitji
@Vinayak,
I dont recall reading this particular story of Manto. Perhaps it was not included in various versions of his representative stories, hence I missed this one.
But surely a love story between a sikh man and Jewish woman makes an interesting background for a film with international appeal.
And as Manto had written it so he might have woven it with the back drop of WWII or last years of freedom struggle of India.
Do you have it with you? or a link?:-?
RK – the love story between a Jew girl (named Mozelle) and a sikh … set at the time of the riots. . Of what i remember, Mozelle was perhaps never quite as much ’serious’ about the relshp. She was a free bird sort of a woman and eventually the sikh falls for another sikh woman. But mozelle and the Sikh were always close..
When riots break out … and muslim rioters surround the house of the Sikhni, the Sikh guy somehow resuces his girl (the sikhni), but is in turn hounded by the rioters.
Then Mozelle literally lets herself ‘loose’ in front of the rioters (quite literally takes off her clothes) and suddenly appears in front of the rioters … rioters distracted, the Sikh escapes at the opportunity ….
Dont remember how the story ended …
And i dnt even know how this story would be made into a film (considering the typical Manto content)
@KK(71),
Thanks for details about story. seems quite interesting. Must arrange ASAP to read it.
Picturization should not be tough.
Similar scenes though on males have been taken in Mr and Mrs Aiyer and 1947- Earth.
kartik krishnan,
you remember it right.
In the end, after the inital shock, the mob regains its madness and Mozelle is lost.
(considering the typical Manto content)
That’s true.
How about Mishtake as a short film? It should be ok with censors as it only has male members.
RK,
Sorry! I don’t have it with me or a link to ebook It can be found in this collection
http://books.google.com/books?id=AgMOAAAACAAJ&dq=Memories+of+Madness
But i would suggest the book India Partitioned: The other face of freedom, Part I (published 1995)
-0-
I am tempted to talk about Malena. But, i won’t talk about it.
I also remember this story.
@RK
Look for a book called ‘Mottled Dawn’. It contains around 50 stories of Partition (all by Manto) including this one.
Though it would be better to read it in Hindi. If you find a Hindi translation, please let me know :D
@Vinayak,
Thanks, will look for the book.
Mal
@Neerja,
Thanks for suggesting the book.
whats the hindi title for the book?
Dhabbon wali subah? or somethingelse:-?
@RK. I just found out that Mrinal Sen adapted one of Manto’s short stories for his Bangla film Antareen (with Dimple Kapadia). It’s not about partition but the concept is interesing about two lonely individuals striking a relationship through telephonic conversation. Do you know which story it is and where I can find it?
@Aditya (78),
I have not seen the film though had heard about it when it was made. Never could find it on TV also.
Story’s name was perhaps “Badshahat ka Khatma”. This can be found in one of his volume where his short stories are collected. or may be in the book with title Manto’s representative stories.
Hope some google friendly Manto lover will search online version also:)
@AdityaUN:F [1.7.5_995]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
Here is something interesting that I found while searching Google Books:
In Antareen, it is the recluse poet, a women and the telephone that lead one from fantasy to reality, moved by circumstances. The process of introspection is the underlying theme. R. Tagore
@Vinayak: thanks. I think Sen used Kshudita Pashan as the subject of conversation between the protagonists. The story, however, is Manto’s as credited in the film. I’m really interested in knowing which of Manto’s stories it is.
Then RK is spot on, Badshahat ka Khatma (Kingdom’s End) it is.
I was searching for \’Black Care Man Skin Tip\’ at google and got this your post (\’: : Time to Adapt Manto’s stories on screen ! : PassionForCinema\’) in search results. Not very relevant result, but still interesting to read
Just saw your site while searching for a book by Manto Sahib. Found it interesting. Heartening to note that there are people who are not confined to the Bollywood junk alone!
Please see our website as we are equally passionate about Indian cinema and the power it can wield if used with sense and sensibility.
We are planning to invite Saeed A Mirza this year and highlight his work. Does that interest you? Do see our site and let us have your response! Best wishes!
Kusum
Manto was an unmatched realistic shortstory writer who could handle romance sex and realism with equal creativity and masterly style.