Manto director Nandita Das opens up on her understanding of feminism

Nandita Das has always supported roles which were out of box kind. Nandita is one actor/director who has stood for supporting genuine causes related to women equality. Her next directorial venture ‘Manto’ has now released in theatres. The film talks about the honesty of this writer Manto.

Nandita feels she was destined to choose this tough script. “It took me 6 years to tell this tale. As Manto has written a lot with utmost honesty I thought presenting the honesty of Manto in today’s times is very necessary, thus I decided to put this film onto the celluloid. During research time and when I started writing I did not know what to omit and what to keep on reel? It was very difficult to precise it.”

Drifting the subject further to feminism, she told us, “Actually, I believe in following just, ‘Humanitarian. I also believe that we can befriend the men folk and work along with them too. All I believe is we need to turn humanists and work happily with anyone, there need not be any gender differences as such.”

Adding further in giving a justified support to the right and the wrong doers be it a man or a woman she says, “If a man is right in his ways and if any woman may have done wrong things. I will unhesitatingly support that man only.”

Adding further having said this, “Our society looks at a man and a woman with a huge inequality. In this male dominated pseudo aristocratic society of ours, in order to get the equal status for a woman, we need to push it a lot more. This falls under the category of social injustice So, in such an environment every human being needs to follow and support feminism..I have always supported such causes and shall for all time, will support it in future too.”

Nandita whose state of mind always supports inequality says, “I have grown up in an equal environment in my house. I was allowed to put forth my opinion fearlessly. Having tasted the equal atmosphere at home I have been able to stand for any such causes related to women inequality thus.”

Last but not the least Nandita feels proud on inspiring the females all over. “I am happy to inspire girls especially those who feel deprived of making it up,merely  because of their Dark complexion. Girls with brown complexion are looked down upon. I remember, I was delivering a lecture in Aligarh University. One girl came forward and asked me, ‘In spite of being brown complexioned how come you are so confident??’ Hearing this question I was literally shaken from within. I was forced to ponder over the fact that so many girls lose confidence merely because they are dark complexioned!!” she concludes.