1) Why should we get to know Yasmin?
Yasmin has written Bells, the apparently risque theatre production that opened recently in Birmingham and is going on a national tour. Some national papers tried to generate controversy by comparing it to Gurpreet Bhatti's Behzti, implying it had the potential to generate a violent protest.

The writer herself disagrees: "No, Bells is not controversial. It's a certain type of reality which I feel some people would rather not think about. Some would say it's gritty but I think it's best described as 'tickle your senses' rather than 'controversial'."


2) So what is it about, and why would anyone protest?
Bells is a fictional love story based around mujra clubs in Britain. Yasmin says: "I was continually hearing about these clubs and listening to men boast about their experiences at the mujra clubs without any thought to the exploitation they were colluding with." Let's just say the play does not look too favourably on the behaviour of some Pakistani men.

"My research left me sickened by the hypocrisy, psychological bullying, use of money as power and the seediness of these clubs. Some respectable, even religious men visit Mujra clubs - condemning these vulnerable women in public whilst pursuing them in private," she says.

"I wrote this play because I wanted to look at the darker side of mujra culture because in the films it is portrayed as quite glamorous but the reality can be quite different."


3) How did she do the research?
"I researched the play through visiting the mujra clubs and speaking to the staff as well as the dancing girls. Also I know a lot of guys who visit mujra clubs. So I took into consideration their experiences and views," Yasmin says.

"Beneath the exploitation and degradation of the unprotected and sometimes helpless, there are many lonely and pained individuals - both buying and selling the entertainment."


4) What has she do rest of the time?
Yasmin Khan is a youth worker and involved in a number of voluntary community organisations in London and Bedford. Previous work includes a dance and drama play Love Stomp; Pleasure and Pain, a set of three interweaving monologues; and a monologue called Lucy.

For film she wrote a five minute short titled Lemon Juke Box about mental health issues amongst young people. She is also under commission to Theatre Royal Stratford East with Dial 0800, a new play set in an Indian call-centre. She is also working on a monologue for M6 Theatre Company, and has just started writing on BBC Asian Network's Silver Street.


5) And other than writing?
"I like doing lots of things other than writing; most of the time I'm busy having fun. I like spending time with my family, hanging out with my friends, entertaining, shopping, theatre, art galleries, I love cooking and to top it all I really enjoy working as a youth worker," she says.


6) The dream job...
"My dream job is combining my work with visiting other cultures which would then be filmed as a series of programmes based on story telling around the world. Of course I'd want to present it as well." She also hopes to write a feature film soon.


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Picture by Simon Richardson