Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: Setting another milestone for Jammu and Kashmir, son of the soil, director Rahat Kazmi’s film Mantostaan, shot in the State, has been selected for Cannes Film Festival before its release.
Film will be screened on 14th of May at Cannes Film Festival. Mantostaan is a dark satire based on four burning and the most controversial short stories (Khol Do, Thanda Ghosht, Assignment and Aakhri Salute) of legendary Urdu writer, Saadat Hassan Manto. The stories are set in 1947 India Pakistan partition time, throwing a spotlight on most inhuman side of human beings.
Director of the film disclosed that choosing stories of Saadat Hassan Manto was a challenge for him, as his works remained most controversial. Kazmi said actors Raghubir Yadav, Sonal Sehgal, Shoib Nikash Shab, Virendra Saxena, Tariq Khan, Raina Bassnet and Sakshi Bhatt are the star cast of the film. He hoped that this tale of partition will touch a universal chord, beginning at Cannes Film Festival.
Rahat said Ufi Production and JKF (Jitesh Kumar Films) from Delhi, Starclub NGO from Kashmir and Chhatisgarh Mudra Parishad from Raipur (Chattisgarh) are different organizations, which have come forward and support the cause of making a historical film on much deserved stories of a legend called Manto.
Film is produced by Rahat Kazmi, Tariq Khan and Aaditya Pratap Singh and Co produced by Zeba Sajid and Associate producer is Javid Bandey from Canada. Tariq Khan and Rahat Kazmi duo is basically from Jammu and Kashmir and major part of the film was shot in Jammu and Poonch. Some part of the film was also shot in Punjab.
The film will be screened at the Le Marché du Film category of the fest in May, ironically and coincidently with Manto’s birthday that falls on May 11, the day 1 of Cannes. The official screening of Mantostaan is on May 14 and 16.
Tariq Khan said it is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that a film directed, produced and shot in J&K has been selected for Cannes Film Festival before its release.
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