Morning shows of Nandita Das’s Manto were cancelled in theatres in some parts of India on Friday, the day on which the film opened. Distributors Viacom 18 tweeted in the afternoon that all shows were “up and running now” but did not give a reason for the disruption.
Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rasika Dugal, the film is a biopic about Urdu writer and iconoclast Saadat Hasan Manto.
Scroll.in has contacted Das as well as the film’s distributor Viacom 18 asking why this happened. The story will be updated if they respond.
In response to a query from author Nazia Ezrum, the PVR chain of cinemas cited a technical glitch for the disruption.
On Twitter, Das expressed her anguish at reports and tweets about the cancellation of shows.
The film traces Manto’s years as a writer in Bombay, his move to Pakistan and the impact of India’s Partition on his life and work. The cast includes Rasika Dugal as Manto’s wife, Safia, alongside Rishi Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Paresh Rawal. Manto was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. It has been co-produced by HP Studios, Filmstoc, and Viacom18 Motion Pictures.
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