Manto: A Drunk Rebel Writer

By Abdul Rauf Jatoi

Hey there, I’m Rauf, and today I watched the 2018 Manto movie. I was so inspired by this documentary that I read more about Manto, a person who was never afraid to tell what he thought in his stories. He was a true rebel with a cause, using his pen to expose the raw, often uncomfortable, truths of society. His life was as dramatic and poignant as his stories, filled with struggles, controversies, and an unwavering commitment to his art.

Saadat Hasan Manto

Saadat Hasan Manto, born on May 11, 1912, in Samrala, British India, was a literary giant who dared to challenge the norms of his time. His journey as a writer began in Bombay, the bustling heart of the Indian film industry. He penned screenplays and short stories, quickly gaining recognition for his unique voice and unflinching realism. He was part of the Progressive Writers’ Movement, a group of literary figures who believed in using literature as a tool for social and political change. Manto’s time in Bombay was productive, but his life took a dramatic turn with the partition of India in 1947.

The partition, a cataclysmic event that divided India and Pakistan, deeply affected Manto. He migrated to Lahore, Pakistan, a move that marked a new, often difficult, chapter in his life. The pain and displacement caused by the partition became a central theme in his later works, most notably in his poignant short story “Toba Tek Singh.” Despite the hardships, he continued to write, his pen becoming a weapon against hypocrisy and injustice.

Manto’s stories were often deemed controversial, particularly those that delved into themes of sexuality, prostitution, and the harsh realities of human nature. He faced numerous obscenity charges, both in British India and later in Pakistan. His response to these accusations was always defiant: “If you find my stories dirty, the society you are living in is dirty. With my stories, I only expose the truth.” He was a mirror to society, reflecting its ugliness and its beauty without compromise. His famous short stories like “Thanda Gosht” (Cold Meat), “Khol Do” (Open It), “Bu” (Odour), and “Kali Shalwar” (The Black Trousers) are testaments to his courage and his literary genius.

Beyond his controversial works, Manto was a master of words, and his quotes continue to resonate today. He once said, “I am not a pornographer but a story writer.” Another powerful quote that reflects his disillusionment with the world is, “The world has become a lunatic asylum, and we are all its inmates.” He believed that “A writer picks up his pen only when his soul is wounded,” a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates his own creative process.

Manto’s life was cut short on January 18, 1955, at the age of 42, due to liver cirrhosis, a consequence of his struggle with alcoholism. He died in poverty, a tragic end for a writer who gave so much to literature. His death was a profound loss, but his legacy continues to inspire generations of writers and thinkers.

Even his epitaph tells a story. Manto had a specific epitaph in mind for himself, one that truly reflected his dedication to his craft: “Here lies Saadat Hasan Manto and with him lie buried all the secrets of the art of storytelling in his breast. Under tons of earth he lies, still wondering who is the greater writer: God or he?”. However, the epitaph on his grave was changed to: “This is the grave of Saadat Hasan Manto who still believes his name belonged on the cosmic stone” This change, perhaps, symbolizes the ongoing struggle between Manto’s raw truth and society’s desire to sanitize it.

Saadat Hasan Manto remains a towering figure in Urdu literature, a writer who fearlessly explored the darkest corners of the human psyche and the harsh realities of his time. His stories are as relevant today as they were decades ago, reminding us that truth, no matter how uncomfortable, must always be told.