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Mottled Dawn
Many of us know how the partition of India and Pakistan came about. However, there are several other stories that took place during that time that we need to be aware of. There are several tragedies which have not received as much importance as the partition itself. The book is a collection of unforgettable stories put together as Saadat Hasan Manto s most powerful pieces. It is based on the Partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in the year 1947. The book contains many stories like Toba Tek Singh, The Return, The Assignment, Colder Than Ice and many more. All these stories come alive to put forward the most tragic events in the history of the subcontinent. Saadat Hasan Manto was a British Indian born Pakistani short story writer. His stories were written in the Urdu language. Some of his well-known writings include: Bu (Odour), Khol Do (Open It), Thanda Gosht (Cold Meat) and Toba Tek Singh. He was also a journalist and a film and radio scriptwriter. He has published a total of 22 collections of short stories, one novel, five collections of radio plays, three collections of essays and two collections of personal sketches.
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Stars From Another Sky: The Bombay Film World Of T
Unforgettable reminiscences about the eccentric, glamorous, yet angst-ridden Hindi film world of the 1940s. Saadat Hasan Manto, one of the greatest short story writers of the Urdu language, was also a film journalist and story-writer for the Hindi film industry in Bombay. As an insider he was privy to the most private moments of the men and women who have dazzled generations of audiences. In this series of sketches, Ashok Kumar, the screen idol of yore, emerges as a shy, yet brilliant actor, forever looking to flee the eager advances of his female fans; Nargis comes across as just another young girl looking for companionship among her peers before she steps on the ladder that will forever take her away from the comforts of an ordinary middle-class life; and Shyam the dashing, handsome hero is portrayed as a straightforward, flirtatious young man pining for the woman he loves. Manto also describes in detail the obsessions of Sitara Devi; the unfulfilled desires of Paro Devi; and the intriguing twists and turns which transform Neena Devi from an ordinary housewife into a pawn in the hands of film companies. He writes with relish about the bunglings of the comedian V.H. Desai and the incredible dedication of Nawab Kaashmiri to the art of acting. There are also stories about the rise of Nur Jehan as the greatest singer of her times; and the various peccadilloes of the musician, Rafiq Ghaznavi. With subjects ranging from film journalism to the sexual eccentricities of these stars, Manto brings to life a generation with his characteristic verve and honesty.
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Why I Write : Essays by Saadat Hasan Manto
One of the greatest raconteurs of 20th century, Saadat Hasan Manto declares that he was forced to write when his wife routinely demanded that he put bread on the table for the family. He doesn't attribute any genius to his skills as a writer and convinces his readers that the stories flowed even as he minded his daughters or tossed a salad. Equally, Manto treats his tryst with Bollywood with disdain and unmasks the cardboard lives of tinsel town when a horse is painted to double up for a zebra or multiple fans rotate to create a deluge. Two of Mantos favourite and recurring themes-women and Partition - find special mention as he brings to focus the bizarre morality in the context of feminine beauty and the futile presence of religiosity in the creation of a nation he was to adopt later in life. For the first time ever, this unique collection of non-fiction writing from the subcontinents greatest writer, translated by well known author and journalist, Aakar Patel showcases Saadat Hasan Mantos brilliance while dealing with lifes most mundane things-graveyards, bumming cigarettes, a film crew with motley characters from mythology and a sharp dissection of what ails the subcontinent even after 6 decades - Hindi or Urdu, vile politicians and the hopelessness of living under the shadow of fear. About the Author Aakar Patel has worked in the textile industry and in journalism. He has edited newspapers in English and Gujarati for the Dainik Bhaskar Group and for the Mid Day Group, where he also oversaw the Urdu daily, Inquilab. He writes columns for the Mint Lounge and Express Tribune, published from Pakistan.