num_pages: 194
description: One of the greatest raconteurs of the 20th century Saadat Hasan Manto declares that he was forced to write when his wife routinely demanded that he put bread on the table for the family. He doesnt attribute any genius to his skills as a writer and convinces his readers that the stories flowed even as he minded his daughters or tossed a salad. Equally Manto treats his tryst with Bollywood with disdain and unmasks the cardboard lives of tinsel town when a horse is painted to double up for a zebra or multiple fans rotate to create a deluge. Two of Mantos favourite and recurring themes  Women and Partitionfind special mention.For the first time ever this unique collection of non-fiction writing from the subcontinents greatest writer translated by well known author and journalist Aakar Patel showcases Saadat Hasan Mantos brilliance while dealing with lifes most mundane things  graveyards bummingcigarettes a film crew with motley characters from mythology  and a sharp dissection of what ails the subcontinent even after 6 decades Hindi or Urdu vile politicians and the hopelessness of living under the shadow of fear.
language: English
title: Why I Write: Essays by Saadat Hasan Manto
publisher: Westland Books