A new biopic on Saadat Hasan Manto titled Manto has been positively received in Pakistan. The film focuses on the last seven years of the prolific writer’s life of hardship in the newly formed state of Pakistan after he decided to move out of India during Partition.

His close friend and partner-in-literary-crime happened to be Ismat Chughtai. When Dedh Ishqiya (2014) released, Chughtai’s name re-appeared fleetingly in reviews that hinted at the clever tribute the film paid to her most controversial short story, Lihaaf.

In 1944, she was summoned by the Lahore court to explain what business two women tucked under a quilt have together. There was a fierce exchange of words between the judges, lawyers and the accused. She was asked to refrain from using words like ‘aashiq’ in her story and her lawyer suggested that ‘yaar’ should be a better word. The case was closed.

Chughtai and Manto were two towering Urdu writers during the golden age of Hindi cinema who worked with big studios. But while Manto has (at last) got his own biopic, Chughtai – married to film director Shaheed Latif – has been neglected in that department.

She wrote: 'I told Shahid before we got married that I’m a very troublesome woman, later on you’ll regret marrying me. I have been breaking chains all my life. I won’t be bound in any chain now. It doesn’t suit me to be an obedient, virtuous woman, but Shahid didn’t listen to me… the day before our wedding I warned him again. "There’s still time, listen to me, all our lives we’ll be friends, I’m saying this as a friend"… Shahid treated me as an equal and that is why we led a pleasant married life.'

Chughtai's tryst with Hindi cinema culminated in a Filmfare trophy for Best Story, which she shared with Kaifi Azmi in 1975 for the film Garam Hawa. She also appeared in a bit role in Shyam Benegal’s film, Junoon (1979).

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Chughtai's family continues to be associated with cinema. Her grandson Ashish Sawhny is a filmmaker. He also had a small part in Luck By Chance (2009).

Aijaz Khan has shown some interest in making a film on his great aunt's work. He says, ‘I would like to make one of her stories, Jangli Kabootar. It has always fascinated me.’ He made his debut with a full-length feature called Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat (2015).

There's enough material for movie on Chughtai's life, for she has written her autobiography, Yahan Se Wahan Tak. This year, 2015, is the year of her birth centenary. But where's that biopic?