Dhuan was first published in 1941 from Delhi.[1] This was Manto’s third collection of original short stories after Atish Paray and Manto Ke Afsanay.[2] It was written during the time Manto spent with All India Radio.[3] The collection also included reprints of Manto’s earlier stories published in Atish Paray, such as Chori, Ji Aaya Sahab (Qasim) and Dewana Shair.[4] An identical collection under the title Kali Salwar (Black Trousers) was also published in Lahore the same year.[5]
Dhuan (Smoke), from which the collection takes its title, was first published in the Urdu magazine Saqi. The story deals with the awakening of sexual urges in a twelve-year old boy, Masud.[6] In Cuhe daan (Mousetrap), Manto depicts the early discovery of romantic love by teenagers.[6]
Lalten (Laltern), Misri ki dali (A Piece of Rock Candy) and Namukamal Tahrir (Unfinished composition) are similar tales of attraction of a vacationing young man for a young mountain girl.[8]
Manto explores political issues in Matami Jalsa (Assembly in Mourning) which is a satire on the reaction of people to the news of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The story describes an assembly of people gathered to honour Ataturk following his death.[9]Taraqqi Pasand (Progressive), based by a true incident involving Rajinder Singh Bedi and Devindra Satyarthi, is a friendly ribbing on the Progressive Writers' Movement to which Manto was associated.[10]
He touches on social realism in Kali Salwar (Black Trouser) through the character of Sultana, a prostitute whose business is falling.[11] First published in Adab-i-Latif in Lahore, it was banned by the British government under section 292 of the Indian Penal Code on grounds of obscenity.[7]
Aiktras ki Aankh (An Actress’s Eye), Qabz (Constipation) and Paresaani ka sabab (The Reason for Worry) are sketches on the people of the Bombay film industry.[12]
See also
Kali Salwar - a movie based on Manto’s story of the same name