Nandita Das

The journey of making Manto and taking it to the audience at Cannes has so far been miraculous, says director Nandita Das. Taking a breather out of a "roller coaster ride" that she has had at the French Riviera over the last five days, Das says that after the last-minute running around before she arrived for the festival, the "carnival-like energy" lifted her spirits. Das says the premiere garnered a four-minute standing ovation, and strangers hugged her while sobbing.