Salman Rushdie to produce TV

Salman Rushdie is foraying into the showbiz world by scripting a TV drama.

Los Angeles: Indian author Salman Rushdie is foraying into the showbiz world by scripting and producing TV drama `Next People`.

The writer, whose Booker prize winning book `Midnight`s Children` is being adapted by Deepa Mehta as `Winds of Change`, is developing the hourlong drama for the pay cable. The show documents the radical transformation in contemporary American life -- from politics and religion to technology, science and sexuality. Rushdie will write the initial script and executive produce with Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Shelley McCrory of UK-based Working Title, the shingle where the show is attached, the Variety reported. The famous author is not new to limelight. He was in hiding for much of the 1990s following a death threat against him by Islamic fundamentalists over his controversial book `The Satanic Verses`. He is an occasional TV talkshow guest and has been a panelist on HBO`s `Real Time With Bill Maher` besides hosting an episode of PBS chatshow `Charlie Rose` in 2006. He is also working as a co-scriptwriter on the `Midnight`s Children` book with Mehta, who is known for her India-based trilogy --`Fire`, `Earth` and `Water`. PTI