MANTO to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival

Tuesday, 8 May 2018 12:57

Mimi Steinbauer’s Radiant Films International announced that it will introduce international buyers to MANTO, written and directed by the critically acclaimed Nandita Das (FIRAAQ, FIRE).

The film, based on the life and work of Saadat Hasan Manto, one of the most distinguished short story writers of the 1940s, celebrates its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 as part of the Un Certain Regard official selection on Sunday 13^th May 2018.

MANTO is produced by Nandita Das’ own personal vehicle Nandita Das Initiatives, together with Viacom18 Motion Pictures, India’s leading film studio known for creating ground-breaking cinema, along with newly formed HP Studios, and new production and finance company FilmStoc. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Magic If Films is also a co-producer.

Radiant Films is already speaking with interested international buyers and expects to close deals in Cannes. Radiant’s acquisitions executive Mike Dougherty introduced the project to the company, with Steinbauer negotiating the rights deal. The film’s co-producers Marie Masmonteil and Sandrine Brauer of En Compagnie des Lamas, one of the leading independent producers in France, are handling the French sale. Viacom18 Motion Pictures is distributing the film in India with a release scheduled for later this year.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui (MCMAFIA, LION) stars in the title role, along with Rasika Dugal (QISSA: THE TALE OF A LONELY GHOST) who plays his wife Safia, and Tahir Raj Bhasin (FORCE 2) is cast as Manto’s close friend and acclaimed actor of 1940’s Indian cinema, Shyam Chadda.

MANTO is Nandita Das’ second directorial project after her debut film, Firaaq. She has acted in more than 40 feature films and has served on both the main competition and short film juries at the Cannes Film Festival.

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