Cannes tunes into Manto's world and anguished voice

Nandita Das' period biopic "Manto", India's flag-bearer in the official selection of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, premiered here today in a packed Salle Debussy.

Twenty-three members of the cast and production team took the stage after the festival's general delegate Thierry Fremaux introduced the director and noted the size of the "Manto" contingent.

"It's India," Das quipped.

"Yes, it's India," Thierry said in response.

"'Manto' is set in the 1940s and 1950s, but it is about what is happening (on the subcontinent) today," the director said.

"Cannes is like home, and it is great to have my second film premiere here," she said.

In the audience was the director's father and celebrated painter Jatin Das.

Speaking to PTI after the screening, Das noted: "My films are rooted in a milieu but I do not seek to explain everything. If you are true to the emotions you are dealing with, a film connects instantly with the audience."