Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s biopic on the cards?

Amid reports on plans for former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s biopic, the senior Congress leader himself on Tuesday gave credence to it, saying some people have approached him in this regard.

There are even reports that Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi is being considered to play the role of the 75-year old Congress leader on the silver screen. However, things are yet to be finalised.

One round of discussions has taken place regarding the biopic between Siddaramaiah and some of his ”admirers” under the leadership of former Minister and ex-MLA from Kanakagiri Assembly constituency Shivaraj Tangadagi.

”I don’t know, some people had come from Kanakagiri constituency (in Koppal district) stating that they want to do a cinema, that’s all. I don’t know much…,” Siddaramaiah said in response to a question from reporters in Shivamogga.

Asked if he will act, the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly said, ”no…not me…I don’t know acting.” Confirming the plans, Tangadagi said some youths in his constituency were making efforts to bring out Siddaramaiah’s life story as a film, and they have even registered a production company with the name ‘M S Creations’ for this purpose The director is a new person, a youth named ‘Satyaratanam’, he said.

”Youths of my Kanakagiri constituency with a desire to make a biopic on Siddaramaiah had approached me. We had met Siddaramaiah in this regard. He (Siddaramaiah) has sought time citing elections, but our desire is to meet him again, fixing a date either on December 6,7 or 8 to get his approval and make the cinema,” he said, expressing confidence that it will make a good film.

Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba leader, with a considerable following among AHINDAs, is nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions. Assembly elections in Karnataka are due by May next year. AHINDA is a Kannada acronym that stands for ‘Alpasankhyataru’ (minorities), ‘Hindulidavaru’ (Backward Classes) and ‘Dalitaru’ (Dalits).

Siddaramaiah’s grand 75th birthday bash was organised by his supporters and well-wishers in August this year, which was a show of strength by his camp aiming to project him as a leader of the masses from the Congress.

With state Congress president D K Shivakumar too having made his Chief Ministerial ambitions public, both leaders are caught in the game of political oneupmanship.