“Proud to be an Urban Naxal,” says Sreemoyee Piu Kundu at the launch of her new book, ‘Cut’.

After her bestselling erotica, ‘Sita’s Curse’, which explored female desire through the eyes of a Gujarati housewife, her recent novel, ‘Cut’ tells a story of a visionary artist, Amitabh Kulashreshtra and the price he eventually pays to get his voice heard.

The story explores the struggles of a man who’s artistic integrity takes precedence over those he loves.

Speaking about the inspiration which led her to pen the novel, Kundu said, “When I was in Mumbai, I read an article about a Marathi thespian who was found dead on a local train and it left me utterly disturbed. His body was unclaimed in the morgue for days and the local papers were full of stories which threw muck on his character highlighting his sex life, debts and politics, while ignoring all his achievements as a theater actor. ‘Cut’ originated from the memory of this actor. It also explores the parody of the life of an artist who’s achievements are completely forgotten in this world.”

“I proudly wear the badge of an urban Naxal," said Kundu, "if that is what artists like us are being called these days because my political ideologies has always been left leaning and for the marginalized section of the society.”

“I don’t see the Triple Talaq and the Sabarimala issue as feminist causes. I view them as a human rights struggle. I will always speak up for the marginalized community, which includes women, children, the poor and the LGBTQ population in India,” she said.

Speaking about artistic freedom of speech, Kundu said, “Freedom of speech is a fundamental right guaranteed to us by our constitution. We are witnessing more and more public uprising and uproar, be it for the gruesome death of Gauri Lankesh or the ‘Me Too’ movement, people are certainly becoming more aware.”

Apart from being a novelist, Sreemoyee Piu Kundu is a well known journalist and columnist on gender and sexuality.

After her first novel ‘Faraway Music’, she wrote bestsellers like ‘Sita’s Curse’ and ‘You’ve Got the Wrong Girl.’

Her first non-fiction work, ‘Status Single’ was critically acclaimed, it showcased the struggles of a single woman in a country where marriage and motherhood was a validation for women.

Her new book, ‘Cut: The Life and Death of a Theatre Activist’ doesn’t shy away from highlighting the hypocrisy of the government and is deeply relevant today.

(Reporting by Meghna Dunbar)