A period drama, the film is based on Ismat Chugtai's most celebrated story "Lihaaf" (published 1942). The film inter weaves the plot of same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse and the trial that Ismat underwent after being slapped with a case of obscenity on publishing the story. The film raises themes of homosexuality and freedom of speech that our society is grappling with even today.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
as Ismat Chugtai
Sonal Sehgal
as Begum Jaan
Veerendra Saxena
as Aslam sahib
Rahat Kazmi
as Shahid Latif
Mir Sarwar
as Nawab Sahib
Shoib Shah
as Manto
