Rasika Dugal is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming film, Manto. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the titular role and written and directed by Nandita Das, the film delves into the life of one of the most well known and talked about short story writers from the subcontinent, Saadat Hasan Manto. Rasika plays the role of Safia Manto, Manto’s wife.
Recently, Rasika turned host for Nuzhat Arshad and Nusrat Jalal, two of Manto’s daughters who flew down to Mumbai from Lahore on the Qissa actress’ request and after lot of effort on Nandita’s part. They were accompanied by Nusrat’s husband Shahid and Saeed, an old friend of Manto’s. Manto has three daughters, who live in Lahore. They have been extremely involved in the entire process of this film. Nusrat and Nuzhat arrive in town to catch a special screening of Manto on Monday.
When asked about how she spent time with the two, Rasika said, "It is so nice to finally get to meet the family. Nandita’s efforts have finally brought them here. It gives me great joy to show them around Bombay - the city that their parents loved. We went to Prithvi theatre yesterday and all of us including Nawaz met for dinner later. So many stories were shared about Manto and Safia. Even though it is the first time we met, I felt I have known them for very long. Their response to the film would mean a lot to me. I look forward to that."
Manto is slated to release on 21st September 2018 and has already garnered a lot of acclaim in festivals across the world. Rasika will also be seen in the upcoming film Hamid and in the series Mirzapur, along with her upcoming show, Delhi Police, based on the Nirbhaya case.