manto Archives

Here is why the Popularity of Ali Sethi’s Pasoori Matters

Ali Sethi’s Pasoori has become a social media sensation, so much so it inspired The New Yorker to frame him as some sort of a messiah uniting Indians and Pakistanis through art. While Sethi is by no stretch of the imagination the greatest or the first artist to be revered on both sides of the border, his rise through the latest chapter of cold politics on either side of the border, is important.

Takshi Mehta June 12, 2016

Pop Culture

Arré Recommends: What Should You Binge Watch in the Coming Week?

The first few days of January can seem gloomy and it’s probably the best time to fall back on your streaming subscriptions. We, the good folks at Arré, have some recommendations that should help you cope with the post-holiday blues.

Pranay Dewani June 9, 2016

Bollywood

Manto Review: Alcoholic, Absent Father, Dazzling Writer… How to Get a Biopic Right

Most Indian biopics are hagiographies, glossing over the imperfections of their protagonists. Nandita Das’s Manto is none of that. Her Manto is a dazzling writer, betrayed Indian, troubled alcoholic, and an absent family man in the backdrop of a divided nation.

Poulomi Das May 2, 2016

Culture

Manto: The Seer Who Knew Every Prostitute and Pimp in Town

Manto’s stories can broadly be divided into two sections: the ones about Partition, and the ones about Mumbai. The latter are the ones I admire the most, when he wrote about the dingy alleys of the city, where prostitutes, pimps, and decent men met, their dreams and desires in tow and humanity intact.

Manik Sharma March 24, 2016