by Subhash K Jha

After two true -life characters Umrao Jaan and Gayatri Devi will Aishwarya Rai play Sonia Gandhi in the biographical epic on the Congress diva?

The prolific London-based producer Dr J. Murli Manohar who has just released the new Hindi satire Ramji Londonwale and is all set to unleash the true-life tale of spousal abuse Provoked , is ready to move ahead.

This time his chosen subject is Sonia Gandhi. "We've bought the rights of Rashid Kidwai's biography on Sonia Gandhi," reveals Dr Murli. "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 Gandhia."

The big question: who will play Sonia Gandhi? Says Dr Murli, "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 in India."

But Dr Murli wants to opt for his perennial favourite Aishwarya Rai who's done the producer's Jeans and now Provoked, and can get as Italian in looks as it gets. "We aren't looking at the politics of Sonia Gnadhi. We want to make the film on the woman not the politician. Jag wants the film to reflect one catch-line.. 'She came for the love of her life. She stayed for the love of her land.'

Why Jagmohan Mundhra? "He has it in him. He's a very learned filmmamker. 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 Dr Murli.

So far the London-based maverick producer Dr J. Murli Manohar has produced 29 lavish fantasies. That's about to change. His new production Provoked is about to give this powerful producer a new image of a socially conscious filmmaker.

This England-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 Rajnikanth 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."

Dr 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."

With Provoked the prolific producer is ready to move to a different level himself. "There's a lot of international interest in the film. I'm currently in Chennai with my director Jagmohan Mundhra finalizing the background score with A.R. Rahman. The theme needed an intense support. Rahman takes the poignant tale to another level. I think we've a winner on hand."