Nandita Das' Manto film no longer to be shot in Lahore

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Raees aren't the only films affected by recent Pak-India tensions.

Nandita Das has also had to adjust the shoot plans of her film on the writer Manto, parts of which she had earlier planned to shoot in Lahore.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Nandita revealed, "We all know that Manto spent three-fourth of his life in India but had to leave Bombay, the city he loved, and spent only his last seven years in Lahore. So, to maintain authenticity, we did have plans to shoot in Lahore."

Read on: Nandita Das on why Manto was the greatest flagbearer of freedom of expression

However, owing to the difficulty she is likely to face in travelling to Pakistan, the actor/filmmaker has decided to re-locate the Lahore shoots to Delhi.

"Considering the present situation between the two countries, we will need to shoot those portions somewhere in India. We are looking at several options. I have recently returned from a recce in Delhi," she said.

About the film, Nandita has previously said, "It's not a cradle-to-grave biopic but a drama celebrating the life and work of a writer who was a natural rebel, a man who went against the tide without being a conscious activist."

"The film will cover a period of seven years between 1946 and 1952, which was an important phase in the history of the subcontinent," she added.

The film, which stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Manto, will go on floors in the third week of December and is likely to wrap up by the end of February.