One of the most highly anticipated films for this year, Manto, directed by Humsafar famed Sarmad Sultan Khoosat is nearing its last post-production stages and is expected to be released by the end of 2014.

"The film is called Manto and we're releasing it at the end of the year," Sarmad told Dawn.

Written by award winning playwright, Shahid Mahmood Nadeem, the film is based on the life of renowned literary figure Saadat Hasan Manto and has a stellar cast, including Sarmad himself in the lead (playing Manto), with Saba Qamar, Sania Saeed, Mahira Khan, Nimra Bucha, Nadia Afgan, classical dancer Suhaee Abro, Savera Nadeem, Yasira Rizvi, Hina Bayat, Arjumand Rahim, Faysal Qureshi, Rehan Sheikh, Shamoon Abbasi, Humayun Saeed, Irfan Khoosat, Akbar Subhani, Ali Sheikh and Adnan Jaffar, among others.

"The music is done by True Brew Records, with vocals by Meesha Shafi, Zeb, Javed Bashir and Ali Sethi," shared Sarmad.

He further said that the film has also used poetry by Ghalib, Shiv Kumar Batalvi and Majeed Amjad.

"Mohammad Hanif has also written a song for me [for the film]," said Sarmad.

No release date has yet been announced.