Nandita Das' Manto is Australia-bound; heads to Sydney Film Festival

Still from Manto

Nandita Das, it appears, is aware that she has hit the bull's eye with her directorial debut. With her Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Manto, a biopic on the life of noted writer Saadat Hasan Manto, heading to the Sydney Film Festival, Das says she's looking forward to seeing how her film is received by the audience there.

"It is the beginning of my journey with Manto, so I am curious to see how the audiences react in different parts of the world, before it finally releases in India later this year. The power of cinema is its ability to transcend countries and cultures. While the context of the film is local, the story will resonate with people across the globe," director Nandita Das says.

Nandita Das

Her visit to Sydney will be special since she will have son Vihaan Maskara for company. "He has been on shoots, in the office and in editing sessions. So, he should be there for the festival screening. It will be a unique experience to share with my child."

Part of the Manto Special Presentations section of the festival, Manto will be screened at the State Theatre and Dendy Opera Quays Cinema on June 16 and 17. The only other Indian film is the line-up is Kabir Chowdhry-directed Mehsampur.

Also Read: Here's why Taapsee Pannu refused to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui

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