It has been over six decades since the death of famous novelist and playwright Saadat Hasan Manto – a man, who through his writings, touched upon subjects which the society was ever reluctant to acknowledge.

Manto narrated and unveiled unspoken ills of the society through his fearless and bold writing. Born in 1912 in Ludhiana, through his novels and short stories, Manto narrated the stark realities and brutal truths of the society that no one dared to talk about.

Highly esteemed for his writings, Manto also faced much criticism for his outspoken literary work. “He was an honest man who spoke fearlessly. He laid bare the filth within the society,” said famour author Haseena Moin.

Manto gained fame through his famous novels “Thanda Ghosht”, “Toba Tek Singh” and “Dhuwan”.

“People think his writings were vulgar. We believe he wrote the truth,” said Pakistani producer, Iqbal Latif. “Can anyone today say with all honesty that whatever he wrote then is still not true for our society?”

Manto died in Lahore at the age of 42 on January 18, 1955.