Many aspects of Manto

It is a collection of six Manto stories,” says Divas. “The specialty of the play is that it will be a fresh play every time you watch it because the stories chosen and dramatized are different for every show.”

An architect from Chandigarh, Divas left his high profile job to pursue theater and relocated to Bengaluru two decades ago. commercials, Diwas says, meaning pamphlet or advertisement. Manto’s stories are part of this show One Zahida, one prostitute, woman caste, bathroom, end of kingdom, burqaAnd crooked line,

Divas, familiar with Manto’s works a decade earlier, chose to dramatize Manto’s lesser-known stories. “Whenever we talk about Manto, we talk about Toba Tek Singh, Thanda Gosht Or open it upNo one seems to be moving ahead of him, although today work on Manto is being done all over the world. When I researched Manto, I realized that apart from novels and plays, he had also written 270 short stories. I believe it is an injustice to him if he is known only as the ‘Partition and Prostitution’ writer.

Diwas says Manto’s legacy goes beyond this. “He is a comedy writer. The way he looks at society is not only real but also hilarious. It’s like being funny when you’re telling someone the truth lest they kill you. You can see this style in Manto’s works. He conveys a serious message in a humorous manner.

Divas says, poetry was added between each story. “The play runs 80 to 90 minutes, and we felt we needed some connector between the stories. The poem also serves as a breather to prepare the audience for the next story. This module has worked beautifully for us.”

Divas Gupta Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The second challenge, says Diwas, was to choose a poem to suit the subject. “When we did not find a suitable poem, I started writing poems to suit the main themes. The poems have been written in such a way that the language remains close to the essence of the story and Manto’s use of language.

For example, Diwas says, if the story is in Urdu, the poetry is also in Urdu and Hindustani. ,commercials, For me, it is not just a play but a project where I want people to know more about Manto.

Divas, who is also a voice actor, director and story writer, became a full-time actor a decade ago and has been writing poetry in Hindustani since his college days. “I have shared my poetry on every possible platform. My first poetry session was held at Urban Solace years ago.”

advertisement It will be staged by Kinaya Collective, founded by Diwas, Varun Kainth (who moved to the US) and Prakil Singh in 2019. “It started as our initiative to appreciate art and an effort to bring together all types of performing arts. Theatre.”

advertisement It will be staged at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield on October 19 at 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm. Tickets on BookMyShow.