Film on Sonia Gandhi gets clearance from court

'Sonia' directed by T D Kumar and produced by Montage International and Das Entertainment in 2005 will see the light of the day later this year. The makers plan to release it around December nine, which is Gandhi's birthday.

The producers of 'Sonia' had moved Bombay High court against the censor board ruling asking them to seek personal approval of Sonia Gandhi before release of the film.

"We petitioned the high court against this censor board order saying that this was against the fundamental right of self expression. I have the freedom to make a creative and human film. I can be critical too, but not defamatory and misrepresent facts. Even the High Court ruled that there was no provision for personal approval under the cinematograph Act. The censor board has cleared the film with minor cuts," Kumar told reporters in Mumbai.

"'Sonia' is not for propaganda nor is it a biographical film on Sonia Gandhi. It's a fiction...a dramatised piece of her life. It is researched and not of our imagination," he added. Kumar said the script of this film was written much before 'Rang De Basanti' which has a similar sub-plot of a film within a film.

'Sonia' is about an NRI, graduate of one of America's best cinema school, who gets an assignment to make a movie on Sonia Gandhi and the recent Indian political scenario.

The film goes on to show the making of this movie, problems faced right from selection of heroine to finance and political opposition.

Nicky Tiwari played the character of the NRI film maker and Purva Parag, a medical student, had played the character of 'Sonia' in the film.

Kumar admitted that his film has no Bollywood stars, spectacular sets, but claims that it is rich in human and emotional content and multi-track script.