| By Subhash K. Jha, IANS |
After two true-life characters, "Umrao Jaan" and "Gayatri Devi", will Aishwarya Rai play Sonia Gandhi in the biographical epic on the Congress president?
Prolific London-based producer J. Murli Manohar of "Ramji Londonwale" fame, who will produce the film on the Italy-born Congress chief, would certainly like it to be so.
"We have bought the rights of Rashid Kidwai's biography on Sonia Gandhi," says Murli, who is also making "Provoked" with Aishwarya Rai playing a battered wife.
Murli wants to opt for his perennial favourite Aishwarya, who's done "Jeans" for him as well and is as Italian in looks as it gets.
"We aren't looking at the politics of Sonia Gandhi. We want to make the film on the woman not the politician. Jag (Jagmohan Mundhra) wants the film to reflect one catch-line - 'She came for the love of her life. She stayed for the love of her land'."
"The script is being readied. Jagmohan Mundhra was supposed to direct this film before 'Provoked'. But we thought doing 'Provoked' would bring Jag to a new level in his career and prepare audiences to see him handle a subject as sensitive and epic as Sonia Gandhi."
According to him, "Jagmohan Mundhra is of the opinion that we should have an authentic international face to play Sonia. He has spoken to Carla Gugino, the actress from 'Spy Kids 2'. He has also spoken to Preity Zinta."
Why Jagmohan Mundhra?
"He has it in him. He is a very learned filmmaker. And he knows how to control budgets. Lots of filmmakers are functional only with big budgets and big stars. Jag doesn't function that way. He knows the value of money. He had to make the films that he did because he wanted to be noticed in Hollywood."
Carl Austen, who has written "Provoked", will script Sonia. And Rajiv Gandhi?
"Various names are being thrown around. It'd have to be an international name like Jimmi Mistry... like how they did 'Gandhi' with Ben Kingsley. We want this film to get optimum international attention," says Murli.
So far, the London-based maverick producer has produced 29 lavish fantasies.
The Britain-based ENT surgeon-turned-producer, in India for the release of his latest production, started his career with "Indian Summer" in 1986.
"It had a complete British cast and crew. I made it in India and sold it worldwide. Earlier, when the Indian government had allowed the import of English-language films into India I brought around 200 English films into India.
"At the film festivals I'd see films made all over the world being marketed internationally. Why couldn't we do the same when India claimed to be the largest filmmaking country in the world? The key was to make cinema that would appeal to international audiences.
" 'Indian Summer' made money. Then I did 'Bloodstone' with Rajnikant directed by Dwight Little in 1988. Then I went into production with Ashok Amritraj for 'Tropical Heat' and 'Inferno', another Hollywood calibre film from India, then 'Jeans', which was a huge success in Tamil and Telugu though not in Hindi. In fact, 'Inferno' was Madhavan's first feature film. Our association has continued ever since. I did a hit film called 'Minnale' in Tamil with Maddy."
Murli has just completed a Tamil film 'Thambi' with Madhavan.
"All I can say is Maddy has played a character whose ideology is a combination of Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose. It will take his career to another level."
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