- Sonia Gandhi's autobiography will be adapted into a Telugu feature film
- Telangana Congress leaders are raising funds and forming a production committee
- The film will cover Sonia Gandhi's family life and political journey
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's life and political journey are set to be brought to the big screen, with her autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, being adapted into a Telugu feature film.
What's Happening
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Working President Jagga Reddy announced the development during a meeting of Congress party workers in Sangareddy on Thursday.
During the meeting, Jagga Reddy appealed to Congress leaders and workers from the Sangareddy constituency to contribute towards the film's production. Constituency Congress convenor Julakanti Anjaneyulu pledged Rs 2 crore for the project.
Jagga Reddy also proposed setting up a 50-member committee to oversee the initial production work. The committee's activities will be supervised by Gandhi Bhavan Public Relations Officer Hariprasad.
He urged party workers to pool resources and ensure that the film is made on a suitable budget.
"You spend on elections, right? Consider this a similar expense. Let's mobilise the budget and select a good director," he told the gathering.
He further said that once the necessary preparations were in place, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud would be invited to formally launch the film's shooting.
As part of the initiative, copies of Sonia Gandhi's autobiography will also be ordered and distributed among Congress workers. According to Jagga Reddy, this would help them understand her personal experiences and political journey more closely.
What Will Sonia Gandhi's Biopic Cover?
Speaking about the proposed film, Jagga Reddy said it would explore different stages of Sonia Gandhi's life, from her association with the Gandhi family to her emergence as a prominent political leader in India.
The film is expected to depict her journey as Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law, Rajiv Gandhi's wife and the mother of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. It will also reportedly cover the family's difficult years following the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the challenges Sonia Gandhi faced thereafter and how she raised her children while navigating her political responsibilities.
Jagga Reddy said Sonia Gandhi had established a distinct identity for herself in a country as diverse as India, with its different religions, castes and languages.
"Just as deep as the ocean is, so is the political system of the Congress party. Sonia Gandhi studied those politics," he said, while highlighting her political experience and career.
Jagga Reddy Recalls Sonia Gandhi Turning Down Prime Minister's Post
During his address, Jagga Reddy also spoke about Sonia Gandhi's decision to stay away from the Prime Minister's position despite having opportunities to occupy it.
Recalling the period after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, he mentioned that PV Narasimha Rao went on to become Prime Minister, while Sonia Gandhi did not seek the position for herself.
He also referred to the formation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Congress leaders reportedly wanted Sonia Gandhi to become Prime Minister. However, she declined the offer and instead backed Manmohan Singh for the post.
Jagga Reddy described this decision as a historic moment in her political career.
He further credited Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi with playing an important role in shaping the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which was introduced to provide employment opportunities in rural areas.
Towards the end of his address, Jagga Reddy said that people wanted to see another Prime Minister from the Gandhi family and added that Sonia Gandhi hoped to see Rahul Gandhi take up the country's top political position.