When Barbara Taylor Bradford found out that her bestseller A Woman of Substance was being made into an expensive Hindi soap, it left her frothing at the mouth. Excerpts from an exclusive interview

By NIVET OGER
Sunday Mid-Day

LONDON: Barbara Taylor Bradford has been giving interviews galore to put forth her view on the ‘Karisma’ imbroglio. In between, she’s monitoring the situation on the India constantly, even confessing to logging on to the Sahara website to keep abreast of the case. She seems rather composed in her suite at Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane, London.

Not so at a press conference a day before where she looked rather perturbed as Sahara television had screened the first episode of ‘Karisma’. “They are stealing my ideas, my imagination, my hard work and blatantly as a writer,” she told the press aghast.

But today she finds lady of fiction has a very subtle tone. “Please call me Barbara,” she says, generously wanting to read a fax that has just come in from her lawyers in India. “The telecast of the serial has been put on hold as per the injunction from the Supreme Court,” says the author whose 18 novels have sold over 70 million copies worldwide.

Her steely resolve is clearly evident from her statement: “I have to protect my future. This is my livelihood,” she says ardently. Just like the characters in her books, Barbara Taylor Bradford seems determined to succeed in her pursuit for justice.

Barbara, looking back at such court cases in India and how the Indian judicial system works, do you think you will get justice?

Well the courts in India have to sort things out extremely fairly and I do have faith in the judicial system and their fairness and that I will be treated fairly. Why, are you suggesting I won’t be?

Well, copyright suits in India take a long, long time.

A newspaper in Bombay had the picture of the actress. “I don’t know if she was suited (for the role) — I shouldn’t be saying that — and it did say the Miracles of Destiny were based on A Woman of Substance and in fact that producer has said this in an interview. So when they have announced this, how can they backtrack?”

“But I have a new series of books on the theme here — women, children and the lives they lead. The first one comes out here in July called Emma. The second, Voice of the Heart, comes out later this year.”

She then talks about how she went to India in the early ’80s. “I met a young girl who had just been born. She had the most beautiful eyes. Her mother called her ‘Miracle’ and I always remembered 

“I’ve never written about India as such. It has always been set in England or America. But India has always fascinated me. I have so many Indian friends.”

But this is common in India.

Well, you know, a radio journalist said to me yesterday, ‘Do you know this has been happening for a long, long time?’ And I said, ‘Well, that doesn’t make it right just because it’s been happening for a long time.’ I just have to protect my future work, this is after all my livelihood.

The fact is that I have been to India and have fallen in love with India. This is not against India or Indian people. I think Indian women are the most beautiful women I have ever seen. But this is business (in a loud tone).

Are you aware of Sahara India and its business interests?

No, I don’t know much about them at all. But I am sure my lawyer Shyam Mandal does. We have hired them from New York. They are very old firm. They go back to the late 1800s and they seem to be very prestigious. They have done a good job for me so far.

Coming back to the case, you say the makers of the serial say it’s a copy of the book while they have not asked your permission.

No. They haven’t asked my permission. Nobody ever called me up. I found out because (pauses) somebody wrote to me about it. And then a journalist called for some quote (laughs). Wasn’t I thrilled that A Woman of Substance has now been turned into this massive television series which I flattered? I didn’t know anything about it. Eventually we heard that the soap was happening in late March (early April).

My office in New York had gone cold turkey. It was worried and we became slightly alarmed which is when we hired lawyers. When we consulted them, my husband and my lawyers in New York and India decided that I had better come to India to file a case. So I actually did go to the Calcutta High Court on May 7 and was happy because the judge Justice Phani Bhushan Chakraborty passed a ruling in our favour.

What is the name of that somebody who wrote to you first about it?

Well, it is one of my fans but I wouldn’t want to give out any names for legal reasons.

Did Sahara or the producers backtrack and get in touch with you while you were in India?

No, I have not heard from anybody. I suppose the correct thing for them would be to get in touch with the lawyers.

The actress who plays the main role is a superstar back in India.

Yes I know. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like her. She just took her part, didn’t she? I am sure she didn’t know. Do you think she even knew? The producers come to sets and say, ‘Do your scenes in nights?’ I don’t think actresses ask these questions.

Or she could have known and really been bothered about it?

Well, she may have. In fact I am sure she knew it was based on A Woman of Substance but perhaps she wouldn’t have asked, ‘Do you own it?’ Would she ask the producer if he owns the rights? Why would she?

Are you aware that Bollywood actually offers scripts from Hollywood and gets away with it?

Well, I don’t think anybody has done this (lifting a script) before. But what has happened in this case is years in the making. People have always taken scripts from books and what was going on in India just now is that these things and all of this instant communication you can have an instant war in your living room. I mean what can I say to you? I just felt I have to stand up for my rights. There’s a principle involved here and if you have a copyright law then it has to be maintained.

What would you say to those in India who suggest that Barbara is doing this as a publicity stunt for her book?

I would say this — first of all, I am not a frivolous woman. And I wouldn’t spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars to hire a law firm and fly to India when I am in the middle of writing a book, which I have to deliver by January, if I wouldn’t spend all that money just to publicise a book. That book (Emma’s Secret) is not out yet for another two months and my publishers have already mounted an enormous campaign — it’s already fixed when I will be doing appearances this year. And this kind of publicity doesn’t sell books anyway and furthermore, really wouldn’t be something I am serious about. I would not do something so frivolous. I really wouldn’t. It’s ridiculous. It’s costing me far too much money. I am very honest woman with a great deal of integrity and the world knows that. So I don’t have to defend myself. But I am giving you the right answer. It’s nothing to do with this new book coming out other than the fact that I want to protect that book. You know, when they are saying that they are doing 200 episodes and they have shot a 100 apparently, what is to stop them just taking the next book and next book? They haven’t even made it. Remember my husband makes mini series (for television) from my books. Anyway what are they to worry about?

Are you aware of any other country that may have done the same thing without your permission?

No, because where else is there a major industry making? There isn’t. Hollywood, London, France. That’s it. And in any case I do get such an enormous amount of fan mail. I would have known. Somebody would have told me. Somebody always comes with the bad news, right? (Smiles)