Directors backtrack on making films on her and her novels, says writer Taslima

Kolkata, Feb 2 (PTI) Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen today claimed that three Bengali directors who had planned films on her life and novels have pulled out, a day after the official launch of the latest instalment of her autobiography at the Kolkata Book Fair was forced to be cancelled. "The contracts were signed. But the directors have suddenly fallen silent," Taslima told PTI from New Delhi on proposed biopics on her life and films on two novels 'Shodh' (Revenge) and 'Nimontron' (Invitation). "I do not know what has happened to them. Who has asked them not to make the films?" she asked, hinting that the directors may have come under some pressure. The author did not say who may have put pressure on the directors. The new book's publishers meanwhile claimed that the seventh part of Taslima's autobiography 'Nirbasan' (Exile) is selling at a brisk pace. Its official release yesterday was forced to be cancelled by the Fair organisers citing security concerns following protests from fundamentalists. But People's Book Society (PBS), the publishers of the book, remained unfazed and ignored the protests and went ahead with the launch near its stall outside the official venue, earlier fixed by the Publishers and Booksellers' Guild, the Fair organisers. "We have ordered a reprint. The first print of 1,000 copies is sold out. We are overwhelmed with the response," publisher Shibani Mukherji of PBS said. "Women, in particular, are making a beeline for our stall," the publisher said, insisting that the contents of the memoirs had nothing controversial. The latest instalment in the series of Taslima's memoirs, 'Nirbasan' gives an account of the author's plight following her expulsion from her adopted home of Kolkata in November 2007. Written in Bengali, the new book traces the circumstances in which she was bundled out by the government to New Delhi and the resultant mental trauma and insecurity of not having a home anywhere in the world. "The issue is not the book at all. Taslima is the issue," Taslima said. "Neither the fundamentalists nor those in the government have read the book. Even if someone organises a 'Taslima Flower Show', they will demand a ban," said the 49-year-old author who had to flee Bangladesh in 1994 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with her novel 'Lajja' (Shame). PTI