A Tale of the Year 1919

Two travellers on a train. One starts telling the other about an event that happened in 1919 in Amritsar, about the son of a prostitute who stood up to the British, sacrificing his life in the process. But that isn't the worst part of the story. As the listener, enraptured, hears the storyteller reveal the rest of Thaila Kunjar's story, he can't help but question whether the storyteller was just a simple 'onlooker'. One of the most impressive storytellers to come out of the Independence era, Manto truly portrays his prowess in 'A Tale of the Year 1919'. Poignant yet powerful, this is not just a story about martyrdom and bravery but also about prostitutes and their children and their status in the country.