New Delhi: Nandita Das is making a film on the life of famous writer Saadat Hasan Manto and the actress-filmmaker says his struggles to express himself resonates with artists' fight for freedom of expression in today's times.


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Manto acquired the title of a controversial writer during his living, but today he is celebrated for his work on both sides of the border.


"Manto's fight for freedom of expression is so much relevant in today's times... It is important for our country but also around the world artists, writers are struggling to find ways to say what they want to say," Nandita said at an ongoing Urdu festival, Jashn-e-Rekhta.


"His fight was really to be himself... If you are a person, you should be progressive, he did not understand the need of progressiveness as an additional value in a person. He also defied national, regional identity, which is also an important issue for us today," she added.


Titled 'Manto', the movie traces the writer's time in Mumbai before he left for Lahore post Partition. Nandita revealed the film will touch the non-fiction part of Manto's work more than the fiction aspect.


"I was influenced by his non-fiction writings so my film is non-fiction in nature. Of course, we have fictionalised a few things like his pillow talks with his wife. My movie is about his personal journey, how Partition affected him on a deep, personal level, the places he lived, in fact, Mumbai is a character in the film."