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The BUZZ

SOCIETY IN TIME WARP: NAWAZ

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who stars as Saadat Haasan Manto in Manto -- an Indian film that is not getting released in Pakistan -- says society continues to remain stubborn in its reluctance to accept the bitter truth.

According to the talent powerhouse, “We are still living in the same society and stuck in time... That is why what Saadat Hassan Manto faced in his time is still the reality. The problems are still existing and his story is still relevant."

But what about the people who have supported Manto? Sure there are few, the actor agrees, but all of us are really in the minority, he says.

“Those few liberal-minded people are the reason why the world is still a nice place to live in. They are the hope that drives all of us to work with conviction and stand strong for the truth. Otherwise people will just look for an opportunity to kill each other."

The biopic on Manto, released in India in September last year, received tremendous response at the various international festivals it travelled to including Sydney and Melbourne, but ironically not at the Indian box office. The saving grace was the response that poured in once it was released digitally through Netflix.

“I was glad that the film got a great shelf life on Netflix, and we did a good job. We gained confidence," said the actor, who is determined to be part of such stories in future.

Perhaps he was hinting at his next, Thackeray?

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