Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's life and political career are set to be brought to the big screen, with her autobiography, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', being adapted into a Telugu feature film. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Working President Jagga Reddy announced the proposed project on Thursday, calling on party leaders and workers to support its production.

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The announcement was made at a Congress workers' meeting in Sangareddy. Jagga Reddy appealed to party members from the constituency to contribute towards the film's budget and help take the project forward. During the meeting, constituency Congress convenor Julakanti Anjaneyulu pledged Rs 2 crore for the production. 

50-member committee proposed for film production

Jagga Reddy proposed setting up a 50-member committee to oversee the initial arrangements for the film. He said the production process would be coordinated under the supervision of Gandhi Bhavan Public Relations Officer Hariprasad.

Urging party workers to contribute financially, he compared the proposed fundraising exercise to election-related expenditure.

"You spend on elections, right? Consider this a similar expense. Let's mobilise the budget and select a good director."

Jagga Reddy said that once the necessary preparations were completed, the organisers would invite Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud to formally launch the film's shooting.

He also announced plans to procure copies of Sonia Gandhi's autobiography and distribute them among Congress workers so they could familiarise themselves with her personal experiences and political journey.

Sonia Gandhi's personal life and political journey to feature

The proposed film will cover different stages of Sonia Gandhi's life, including her journey from becoming Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law and Rajiv Gandhi's wife to raising her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

According to Jagga Reddy, the narrative will also explore the personal tragedies experienced by the Gandhi family following the assassinations of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. It will depict the challenges Sonia Gandhi faced in their aftermath, her responsibilities as a mother and her eventual emergence as a prominent political figure.

He said Sonia Gandhi had established a distinct identity for herself in India, a country marked by considerable religious, caste and linguistic diversity.

"Just as deep as the ocean is, so is the political system of the Congress party. Sonia Gandhi studied those politics," he said, describing her political career as a successful one.

Jagga Reddy recalls Sonia Gandhi's decision to decline PM's post

Jagga Reddy also highlighted Sonia Gandhi's decision to stay away from the prime ministerial position despite opportunities to assume the office.

Referring to the period following Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, he recalled that Sonia Gandhi did not seek the top post when PV Narasimha Rao became prime minister.

He further pointed to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's formation, when party leaders reportedly urged her to become prime minister. Sonia Gandhi declined the offer and instead backed Manmohan Singh for the position.

Jagga Reddy described the decision as a significant moment in the country's political history and an important part of her political legacy.

He also credited Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi with playing key roles in shaping the ideas behind the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

During his address, Jagga Reddy said there was public interest in seeing another member of the Gandhi family become prime minister. He added that Sonia Gandhi wanted to see her son Rahul Gandhi occupy the country's highest executive office.