The British Asian playwright, whose work about a rape in a Sikh temple has been the subject of a raging controversy, has reportedly received threats of violence against her.Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, whose play Behzti (Dishonour) — has provoked riots at the theatre in the Midlands where it was being shown, has so far not made any statements on the issue. Agencies report she has gone into hiding after receiving threats of abduction and murder. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre which was stormed by about 400 protesting Sikhs during the weekend, has stopped running the play. And even as a second Birmingham theatre made an offer to stage the play, efforts are on to reach a compromise.Gurdial Singh Atwal, a representative of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in the UK, also a Labour councillor, said: ‘‘It has caused great hurt and shows a lack of respect. The Sikh community had a small demand: rather than setting it in a gurdwara, set it in a community centre.’’ And Khalid Mahmood, the MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, the constituency where the riots took place, added: ‘‘You get two sides —— the literatti and then a community which feels its religion has been abused. We should be far more grown up and understand that this is not about banning things. ’Bhatti is not new to controversy. Her first play, Besharam depicted a dysfunctional Sikh family. Born in Watford, north London, the actress-turned-writer has also written scripts for TV soaps. Her relationship with the Birmingham Repertory goes back some years. In 1998, she did a writer’s attachment scheme there and it was also where her debut play was launched before it was transferred to London. Last year, when talking about her contribution of Asian characters and storylines to leading British dramas, she said: ‘‘I believe if your heart is in the right place and if you ask the right questions, if you make the right choices, anybody can write about anything. It is just about doing it with sensitivity and care and passion.’
