Happy Manto reaching wider audiences, says Sadiya Siddiqui

Accomplished film, theatre, and television actor Sadiya Siddiqui is drawn to layered characters that embody many shades of the human experience. This is the reason why she relished narrating Manto's classic feminist tale, 'Hatak' in Zee Theatre's literary anthology, 'Hatak.' Becoming the voice of Sugandhi, a sex worker looking for love and respect challenged the actor in her and she is thrilled that the story will now be available in Kannada and Telugu for audiences in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

She says, "Good dubbing adds another layer to a story and multilingual content reminds us just how many languages India has and what a variety of rich literature exists in every state, I feel all literature should be translated into multiple languages for a global audience. I am very happy that Manto's story is reaching even audiences who don't speak his language."

She also believes 'Hatak' will resonate with audiences in the South and says, "This is a very powerful story about patriarchy and the dehumanisation of women and sex workers who are just treated as objects of pleasure. However in 'Hatak', Manto paints Sugandhi as someone with a strong personality and pride. She is a human being who is craving for love and is devastated when a man rejects her in a very cruel way, saying that she is not pretty. The story is also about how this profession has been created to please men who show zero accountability, responsibility, or respect for these women."

She believes theatre plays a very important role in raising deeper issues affecting society and says, " There are a lot of problems in our society and theatre is a very good medium to ask questions and represent reality in an artistic way. A thought-provoking dark comedy can stay with the audiences for a long time."

She also shares that playing complex characters in socially relevant narratives always leaves some impact on the performer and adds, " Sometimes, the character and real-life overlap. While doing a film called 'Kali Salwar', which was also based on a Manto story, I was so much into the character that it took me a few days to disconnect from it. But I guess that's the beauty of honing in on different characters. "

Directed by Seema Pahwa, 'Hatak' is part of Zee Theatre's literary anthology, 'Koi Baat Chale' and can be watched on March 10, on Airtel Spotlight, Dish TV Rangmanch Active, and D2H Rangmanch Active.