Taslima Nasreen, back again with a TV serial script

Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen is back at writing on women's oppression - this time a script for a Bengali TV serial.

Coming slightly more than a year after her book launch was cancelled at the Kolkata Book Fair following protest by religious fundamentalists, the script will deal with atrocities on women. 'Dusahobas' (translated roughly as living difficult), which would be shown on the small screen from December 19 on "Aakash Aath" channel, tells the stories of women in distress and how they are fighting against it.

"It talks about courageous women who became victims of various crimes like dowry, forced marriage, trafficking, rape or were forced into prostitution, etc. It shows that women will keep fighting for their rights," said the feminist author who drew the ire of fundamentalists for her controversial books like 'Lajja' and 'Dwikhandito'.

Talking to PTI from Delhi, the 51-year-old author said the women in her story fight against social evils directed against them. "Unlike other TV serials which glorify women as being submissive or relegate them to the role of housewives, this serial will portray them as strong individuals," Nasreen said.

Controversy and Taslima go hand in hand. As recently as last month, an FIR was lodged against the author in Lucknow for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in a tweet. She said the idea of the serial had come up in 2006, but after she was bundled out of Kolkata to Delhi by the government after violent protests over renewal of her visa the project could not get going.

"Now once again the producers have taken the courage to start it," she said adding that although she is not in Kolkata, her adopted home, she would like to connect with the city through her writings. "I am happy if my work reaches people," she said.

The official release of the seventh part of Nasreen's book 'Nirbasan' (Exile) at the Kolkata Book Fair was cancelled last year following protests by religious fundamentalists.

Exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with her novel 'Lajja' (Shame), the doctor-turned-author had took refuge in Kolkata in 2004, after a long stay in Europe.

But after violent protests in Kolkata in November 2007, the government took her away to an undisclosed location in New Delhi where she has been residing since then.