Los Angeles, Aug 16 (IANS): Actress Freida Pinto of Slumdog Millionaire fame will star in and produce the TV series on The Henna Artist.

"The Henna Artist", Alka Joshi's bestselling debut novel, is based on 17-year old Lakshmi, who escapes from an abusive marriage and makes her way alone to the 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There, she becomes the most highly requested henna artist and confidante to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she never can reveal her own.

"'The Henna Artist' has tremendous potential to become that bingeable, high-quality, multilayered television show that honours the glory and beauty of India, its culture and its people," said Pinto, reports deadline.com.

Reading the book, Pinto was drawn to Lakshmi, "the kind of character I'd been dying to seek my teeth into".

"As an actress, I cannot wait to dive back into the stories of my motherland and make my women (and my men) of all backgrounds, with all their good and their complexities, feel seen and heard," said the actress, who was born and raised in India.