THE POLEMIC WRITER
Saadat Hassan Manto is one of the greatest authors of the sub-continent. Best known for his short stories, he also authored a novel, five collections of radio plays and three collections of essays. He also has two collections of personal sketches. He is one of the greatest authors of Urdu literature and many of his writings have been translated into other languages. His writings reflect the human sufferings and social dilemma during the post-partition period in India and Pakistan. Through his writings he asked questions to human conscience against the doctrine of long established social values. We remember this great author on his 60th death anniversary.
Saadat Hassan Manto was born on 11th May 1912 in the Punjab of British India
The big turning point of his life came in 1933 when he met writer Abdul Bari Alig
Under his mentorship Manto became familiar with western literature and read Russian and French authors
Manto got admitted to Aligarh Muslim University in 1934 and became involved with the Indian Progressive Writers' Association
Manto started his literary career by translating Victor Hugo's The Last Day of a Condemned Man which was published by Urdu Book Stall
In 1936, he published his first collection of original short stories in Urdu, Atish Pare (Sparks; also Quarrel-Provokers)
Within a year Manto left Aligarh and moved to Bombay and started working as a script writer of Hindi films
Saadat Hasan Manto had accepted the job of writing for Urdu Service of All India Radio in 1941
At that time Manto authored some of his radio plays such as Aao (Come), Manto ke Drame (Manto's Dramas), Janaze (Funerals) and Teen Auraten (Three women)
Some of his best short stories also came from this period of his life including "Kaali Shalwar", "Dhuan" (1943) and "Bu.”
He moved to Lahore, Pakistan in 1948 after the partition of India and started working for several newspapers
In Lahore he wrote some of his most praised works, including Thanda Gosht, Khol Do, Toba Tek Singh and Babu Gopi Nath
Manto is compared with D H Lawrence as he wrote many stories and articles on taboos existed in Indo-Pakistani society
He was tried for obscenity six times; thrice before 1947 in British India, and thrice after independence in 1947 in Pakistan, but never convicted
Manto was a brilliant sketch artist and created a new tell-all type of writing sketch
This great author died of sustained liver cirrhosis in 1955 at the age of 42
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