About the Book
MantoSaadat Hassan Manto was born in Paraudi, Samarala, (Punjab) India in 1912 and died in 1955. In very short lived life, he produced 37 books in the Urdu language. He was an unconventional and intrepid writer. He did not follow any set rules of the society to write about the truth, and to him, it did not matter how acrimonious and dreadful it was.Manto started his writing career as a trainee in a magazine under the guidance of Baari Alig, who encouraged him to translate the European classics. Victor Hugo's "Last days of a condemned" was his first attempt. He also translated some Russian authors work in Urdu. Manto joined the Progressive Writers Association of leftist leanings, but quickly detached himself from the "Red" concept. So, Manto became a 'turncoat' in many writers forum of "Redness," and he did not care for them, but he kept his friendship with Kishan Chandra and Ismat Chughtai. Manto got the opportunity to write dialogues for the movies. He wrote stories, movie-dialogues, and screenplays for the different films. Due to financial and other reasons, many films remained incomplete, and those that were ultimately released were never a box office hit with one exception. While Manto was struggling to get his last gasp in Lahore, the movie Mirza Ghalib, which was penned by Saadat Hassan Manto, was running successfully and honored with the highest National Award by the Government of India. Manto wrote about Sugandhi, Sultana, Shanti, Siraj, and many others that the world did not treat them well. However, in his time, the world did not esteem him honorably either. Manto could not comprehend the logic to dissect India on religious beliefs. He wrote the stories about the cross-border, such as 'Aakhri Salute, Toba Tek Singh, and Teetwal Ka Kutta', which ostracized Manto in the community. Thanks to overzealous fundamentalists, and for an extended period, Manto was proscribed and indicted, yes, three times in British India and three times in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the vulgarity written in 'Dhuan, Open it, The Odor, Kaali Shalwar, Thanda Gosht and Up and Down and In-between, ' and all those charges originated in Lahore. However, paying even twenty-five rupees as a penalty was a consent of his guilt, though, Manto's friend, Nasir paid the fine. The people believed that Manto was very honest to the extent of being blunt. Moreover, morality got him in trouble. Manto stated about himself in this sketch, "I could tell you with full confidence that Manto, who has been charged several times for being an abrasive writer, is a very fastidious person. But, I could not resist mentioning; he is such a doormat, who keeps himself shifted and winnowed." Some decriers venerated Manto for being honest about his writings. Yes, Manto Sahib that's what you penned, 'Everybody is naked in the bathroom. It is not your job to put the clothes on them. It is the job of the tailors.' Manto was an unconventional and brave writer. He didn't rely on the purported fictional standards of decorum established by the moralistic writers. To Manto, the truth was the truth, regardless, how appalling it was, and Manto never corrupted it. Manto wrote, "If you don't discern your social order, read my stories. If you catch a flaw, it's the defect of your society, not my stories."Moreover, Manto was gutsy enough to write his own epitaph, challenging God as to who was the better story writer, Manto or Him. After all, the Omnipotent kept him under His shelter, though, he tried to be brazen. But nothing could be said about Manto's admirers. They were scared along with his family that Manto's flout could be blasphemous; therefore, his tombstone's epigraph was substituted with a verse of Ghalib.Rest in Peace, Janab Saadat Hassan Manto.
