Sonia's story on film

AFTER much research a movie called Sonia Sonia, revolving around the twist and turns in India’s Congress party president Sonia Gandhi’s life is on the roll. Film maker TD Kumar says that he was inspired to make the movie after watching how Sonia, who after passing through so many personal tragedies, emerged triumphant. Kumar wants to complete the film at the earliest and is planning to release it on December 9 coinciding with Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. 

Following Rajiv’s death, Sonia had led a life of near recluse for six years but for her appearances at a few official functions. She touched many a heart when she poured out her “vedna” (agony) at a public meeting a few years ago in Amethi about the delay in the probe of Rajiv’s assassination case. Barring such veiled political statements, Sonia hid her emotions behind a thick veil of secrecy keeping observers guessing about whether she nursed political intentions at all. But fawning Congressmen, looking for a charismatic personality to lead the party to electoral success, kept sending their appeals to her to come and take over the party.

After an excruciating spell of suspense, Sonia, who long remained something of an enigma to many, finally decided to campaign for the Congress in the recent elections and is credited by observers with preventing a doom for the party. Congress, which was forecast not to cross the double digit mark managed a tally of 141 seats, largely due to her charismatic presence during the campaign. In fact, the top job of the Congress organisation was offered to her on a platter immediately after the death of her husband on May 21, 1991, but a grieving and reluctant Sonia declined the offer. Travelling the length and breadth of the country in a hurricane election tour, Sonia caught the imagination of the masses, by her humble mannerism. Observers commented that Sonia successfully adopted her mother-in-law’s mannerism and style in warming her way to large crowds which had turned up at her election rallies.

Sonia, whose Italian origin gave her opponents propaganda grist became a full-fledged Indian citizen in 1984 after the death of Indira Gandhi. Sonia met Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge during 1960s and they were married in 1968 after three years of courtship, says biographer Nicholas Nugent in his book on Rajiv Gandhi. Strange as it may sound now, Sonia had, in fact, shown aversion to politics for long. She detested politics and opposed her husband Rajiv entering it, according to Nugent. Sonia had even threatened to divorce Rajiv if he ever entered politics, according to Nugent quoting Indira Gandhi in the book. Tariq Ali, author of the Nehru’s and the Gandhi’s, an “Indian dynasty”, says at one point Sonia had told a friend that she would rather have her children beg in the streets than Rajiv going to politics. Eventually, Rajiv resigned from Indian Airlines to join politics after Sanjay’s death in 1980. It was a joint decision arrived at after long talks with Sonia, Ali quotes Rajiv as saying.

Now not only Sonia is in the thick of politics, but her children, Rahul and Priyanka, too are in great demand in the Congress circle for taking over the Youth Congress. Sonia declined the prime minister job despite many stirring appeals stating she never wanted to be the prime minister and that was never my intention: but would rather listen to her “inner voice.” Sonia’s dramatic life story will finally be told in a movie that is sure to be a blockbuster hit not only in India but across the globe.

bollyvista.com