After a gap of more than a decade, acclaimed actress Nandita Das returns to maker her second directorial, Manto. Her debut movie as a director, Firaaq, was set against the backdrop of Godhra riots aftermath and had received rave reviews. Now her second movie, Manto is based on the life of the famous Indo-Pakistani author, writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is playing the lead in the movie. Interestingly, Nawaz had a supporting role in Firaaq.

Manto has been selected from India to be a part of the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 (yes, there is more to Cannes than fashion parade...it is about movies, primarily). Nandita Das and her team are already there for the premiere. Meanwhile, back home, we have got the first teaser of Manto and it is quite reivetting!

The teaser gives us a taste of Manto's rebellious attitude towards the idea on censorships, how his pen has created a rift in his own marriage and how his ideas had brought him in trouble with the law. Also, it looks like another winning performance from Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was last seen on screen as a cameo in Mukkabaaz. Check out the teaser here -

Earlier in an interview to DNA, Nandita Das has revealed why she chose Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the lead. She had said, "I always had Nawazuddin in mind while writing the film. Firaaq was his first significant role in a feature film. In 2013 at Cannes, I told him about the film. He was excited and assured me that he would give all the time and commitment to it, whenever it happened. They say if you get the casting right, 70 percent of your job is done, and with Nawazuddin, that’s exactly what happened. He has an incredible range as an actor, but intrinsically Manto lies somewhere in his eyes. With my research, gems from the writer’s family and Nawaz’s life experiences and talent, we’ve managed to bring out many nuances to the character. Not to mention, his natural instincts, deep sensitivity, intensity, and a straight-face sense of humour have helped him transition into Manto on screen effortlessly."

Manto also stars Rasika Duggal, Shashank Aroraa, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Rajshri Deshpande and Rishi Kapoor in a cameo appearance. The movie's Indian release date is not yet confirmed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2018 12:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).