Taslima claims film directors have now backtracked

Kolkata: A day after cancellation of the official release of her book at the Kolkata Book Fair following protests, controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Thursday claimed that three Bengali directors who had planned films on her life and novels had now backtracked.

"The contracts were signed. But the directors have suddenly fallen silent," Taslima told PTI from New Delhi on a proposed biopic 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 she questioned, hinting that the directors may have withdrawn apparently under pressure from fundamentalists.

On the release yesterday of the seventh part of her autobiography 'Nirbasan' (Exile) by her publisher People's Book Society after the official release was cancelled in the wake of protests by right wing groups, Taslima said, "The issue is not the book at all. Taslima is the issue.

"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 after she was accused of hurting religious sentiments with her novel 'Lajja' (Shame).