Writing
Writing
I wrote off and on, right from my childhood. A few years ago, I found some sentimental poetry I had written in school and quickly hid them in my drawer! Then much later with the advent of the internet, I began writing blogs. And then occasional articles for various publications. But writing fell into my lap more seriously when I was asked to do a monthly column for a magazine, The Week. For nine years, I wrote about anything and everything. It was at times cathartic and at times empowering. Those 100 odd pieces are like my diary which I would have otherwise never written.
Apart from writing my own scripts, in 2019, I wrote my first book Manto and I that chronicles my 6 year long journey of making Manto
As I am not a trained or a professional writer, I lack the discipline of writing. And then my need to edit and re-edit makes the whole process even longer. But I enjoy the solitude of this process. Only wish there were no deadlines as I would be quite happy with just the journey of writing, striking out and re-writing!
Manto & i
In Manto & I, I have shared not just my creative, but also my emotional, political, and spiritual experiences of the six years I spent with the film. I knew I was going to share a very personal journey. I believe, together, the images and words will tell you a story you haven’t seen on the screen. Some answer the questions I have often been asked by audiences and media across the world, and some are simply streams of consciousness - memories, reflections, dilemmas, struggles, and the little moments of euphoria.
If you have seen the film, I think you will enjoy reading about the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of making it. If you have not seen the film, I hope this book piques your interest enough that you will want to see it. You will be privy to the intimate process I have had in making the film. Manto can be seen on Netflix.
The book Manto & I can be bought from Amazon
The Last Word in 'The Week'
more coming soon...
Truth is not an option
These days, ground realities seem to have little use in politics, reminding me of George Orwell’s prediction of the demise of truth. In his famous far-sighted novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, written in 1949, he said, "The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history...
Feb 2017
Lest the eyes adjust
2016 has not been perceived as a good year and for good reasons. And, therefore, 2017, even though an arbitrary marker, brings with it hope and promise. Yet for it to be better, we will have to come together in ways that we perhaps failed earlier. After all things don't get better on their own...
Jan 2017
No Shyam in sight
In less than three months, I will start shooting my film, Manto, based on the life and works of one of the greatest South Asian short story writers, Saadat Hasan Manto. This being my second directorial film after Firaaq, I knew that filmmaking was a long and arduous process...
Dec 2016
Unburden, we must
I participated last week in a day-long festival of ideas and conversation on gender empowerment. It was a panel discussion with Sharmila Tagore, moderated by Shohini Ghosh, a professor of media studies, on ‘Taming of the Heroine’. While neither of us had been tamed...
Nov 2016
Other published writings...
more coming soon...
Children need to be where they belong
Whether it is in the words of Mother Teresa - "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples...
June, 2012
Vihaan, a new beginning!
Before this beginning, it was another time, another perspective. I remember when the journos would ask me to describe myself in a one word...
July 6, 2005
The Year Gone by
I, like everybody, have a bank of experiences that has made me who I am, with all its good and bad, but it’s difficult to say which...
Dec, 2009
God and I
The word God doesn’t feature in my life, at least not in the way it is commonly understood, as it has no form or name...
Dec, 2009
Contributed chapters
No Regrets: The Guilt-Free Woman's Guide to a Good Life by Kaveree Bamzai
Chapter Contributed by Nandita Das:
Anger and Laughter
Bridging the Gap edited by Pillai Ramesh
Chapter Contributed by Nandita Das:
Identity and the notion of other
Book on Parenting by Rashmi Uchil
When I blogged...
more coming soon...
The cannes jury call
In April this year, I was travelling in the US, for various reasons- speaking at the Cornell University, presenting Bawander at the Washington...
July 5, 2005
Cannes
On the 9th of May I took a flight from Paris to reach the Nice airport, where Arnoud and Laure , two young members of the Cannes...
July 6, 2005
Mercy
I am often asked “who are your inspirations in life?” in the hope that I will rattle off some famous names that would make a good...
July 15, 2005
No time for cynicism
I am neither a writer nor a net buff/surfer…so what am I doing on a blog! I guess the need to share, to be reassured, to connect...
