Nandita Das has acted in more than 40 feature films in 10 different languages. She made her directorial debut with 2008’s “Firaaq.” Das also acted, wrote, and directed the 2012 play “Between the Lines.” The project dealt with the subtle gender inequalities that exist among the affluent, educated class in India. She was the first Indian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the International Women’s Forum. She will be a speaker at TIFF’s Share Her Journey Rally on September 8.

“Manto” will begin screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

ND: The film follows the most tumultuous and significant years — 1946-1950– in the life of Saadat Hasan Manto, one of the greatest short story writers of 20th century South Asia, and that of the two cities he inhabited, Bombay and Lahore. India’s Independence, the birth of Pakistan, and the trauma of Partition form the backdrop of the film.

The film follows Manto’s difficult journey in those four years in which he wrote some of his best works. Fact and fiction overlap, blurring the lines between his works and the film’s main narrative. This form allows the audience to enter his state of mind, both as a person and a writer.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

ND: What drew me to the story of Manto was his free spirit and his courage to stand up to orthodoxy of all kinds. I was struck by his simple yet profound narratives and the way he insightfully captured the people, politics and times he lived in. He wrote as he saw and as he felt, without dilution, and with a rare sensitivity and empathy for his characters. No part of human existence remained untouched or taboo for him, no matter how controversial.

For him, the only identity that mattered was that of being a human. Manto’s faith in the redemptive power of the written word, through the hardest times, resonates with my own passion to tell stories. In some mystical way, I feel I am part of that hopeful legacy! Through him, I feel I am able to kindle my own conviction for a more liberal and compassionate world.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

ND: For me, I would like to invoke the Mantoiyat that I believe exists inside all of us. It is a term I coined to describe the “Manto-ness” of a person.

It signifies the desire to be unapologetically truthful and honest with oneself and everyone else too. It is the rebelliousness against society’s perpetual attempts to confine our thoughts, reflections, voices, and expressions. Imagine if for once we all spoke our minds? If we all embraced the courage of our conviction, were resilient in the face of resistance, and bold enough to accept ourselves fully, warts and all? I hope watching “Manto” will inspire the audience to invoke their own Mantoiyat.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

ND: There were so many challenges that picking just one is too hard! One of the major difficulties was that much of the research was primarily based on Manto’s writings. He died at 42, so there are very few alive who actually met him. There is no audio or visual recording of Manto, despite the fact he did close to 100 radio plays and even acted in films. So, recreating his character required extensive research, meeting the family, and stringing together the reality based on all of those findings. I was fortunate that the family generously gave me precious nuggets and nuances that I would have never found in any book.

Then putting the funding together, finding locations, managing a large cast and crew — all of it took the life out of me. Also, being a hands-on mother had its challenges as my child was with me throughout the journey of making the film, including on set. The shoot was super hectic. On all-day shoots it felt like the sun was setting too fast, and on all-night shoots, it was rising too early. We were always racing against time to finish.

One of the toughest challenges for “Manto” was to find the right locations for Bombay and Lahore amidst modern-day clutter on a budget that didn’t allow the luxury of too many sets and visual effects.

And to top it off, we couldn’t shoot in Lahore, as initially planned, because of the political tensions. So, we had to find Lahore in India. We shot in a village in Gujarat and the first day of the shoot was with 250 villagers who were facing the camera for the first time. They would often look into the camera or give beautiful, innocent smiles when they were meant to look fatigued and distressed!

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

ND: Finding funds for a film like “Manto” is a huge challenge, but finally we got three producers on board — HP Studios, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, and FilmStoc — apart from myself.

HP Studios is part of HP and “Manto” is their first feature film. We share many values including celebrating diversity and the power of the written word. They have contributed not just in terms of funds but they also gave us equipment for the production and post production of the film.

Viacom18 Motion Pictures brought marketing and distribution experience — after all, without a good release the film cannot reach its audience. FilmStoc is a new film company that intends to tell compelling stories. 

And I also set up my own company for this film, called Nandita Das Initiatives, but didn’t realize that I would end up actually producing the film on the ground. I hope to explore many different creative projects through this company and to tell stories that need to be told.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

ND: Directing for me has not been part of any design but more a means to respond to what goes on around me. Both acting and direction happened by accident. That said, films have provided me with a creative opportunity to share my concerns and use the platform to have conversations about things that matter. Both the films I directed, “Firaaq” and “Manto,” happened because I felt compelled to tell the story, and because they provided me with a language to respond to what was of deep concern.

Cinema challenges many of our deepest assumptions, stereotypes, and prejudices. It has the power to spark new ideas, catalyze critical thinking, and inspire change that may seem invisible but is happening. For me this is the biggest inspiration to want to make films, to find stories that need to be told and heard.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

ND: The best advice: “Don’t look back at what you couldn’t do. Be calm and focus on what you can do!” I have tried to do this throughout the making of “Manto.” Therefore, it has not only been a creative journey for me, but a spiritual one too. Still working on it, but happy to have found a way to be kinder to myself and others.

Before I embarked on directing, some of my film colleagues advised me to always give the impression of having all the answers even if I didn’t know them. According to them, that gives confidence to the team that I can “lead!” I feel being honest and vulnerable about things one doesn’t know is absolutely fine. Just because you are helming a project doesn’t mean that you have all the answers.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

ND: If they are first-time directors, they will find it challenging, but know that if you are sure of the story you want to tell, you will find a way to share it with the world. A lot of the sexism will be subtle, so be prepared to confront it in the way you best can. It is possible to be assertive without being aggressive.

You will need to manage a big team and make sure you set your ground rules clearly and early enough. You don’t have to turn into an accountant, but knowing costs and expenses helps in your creative planning. And marketing and distribution is critical in this day and age, so it is important to invest your time in understanding aspects of it that help you find the right partners. I haven’t learned many of these aspects so I have suffered — and therefore have this advice!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

ND: There are quite a few now. But I would say Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” It is not just a well-made period piece with amazing performances but has a distinct female gaze on relationships of the 19th century. I have been fortunate to be on the Cannes short film jury with her when she was the jury president. Having been trained in social anthropology may have impacted her directorial choices.

W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

Things are changing but there is still a long way to go. I think we are all very happy that what was being said behind closed doors and in whispers is being heard because of #MeToo and other efforts like Equal Means Equal. In India, there is still a deafening silence primarily because women feel more vulnerable in a male-dominated industry, and fear being ostracized and further attacked.

When a project is submitted, the question is still asked: Who is the hero? An A-list actress will never have an A-list actor playing opposite her if she’s playing the lead, but the opposite happens all the time. These things take time to change. Female actors are still stereotyped in their portrayals. [They’re expected] to be perpetually good-looking –read sexy, if they are young, which they invariably need be — and their careers are still much shorter than their male co-stars, who at 50 can play college boys. Having said that, definitely more and more women are now behind the camera so there is a little more representation and diversity in filmmaking.

It is still far from enough, though. Stories exploring issues more central to women are increasing, though every other film continues to focus on “sexual freedom” by showing female characters in sexy clothing, a continued pandering to the male gaze. As one journalist reviewing one such film pointed out, “[the women] remain slaves to their vanity kits and costume designers.” So yes, things are changing, but much more needs to happen, and much faster.