Sonia Gandhi, senior leader of India's Congress party, has opened up about the historic ties between the Gandhi and Bachchan families in her new memoir. She described the Bachchan household as her 'maayka', or maternal home, when she first moved to India.
According to Indian media reports citing her newly published memoir titled 'Belonging – A Journey of Love', Sonia detailed the decades-long relationship between the two prominent families. The book highlights the close personal bonds formed long before Amitabh Bachchan rose to superstardom.
Sonia recalled her arrival in India in January 1968 ahead of her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi. She wrote that Rajiv, his brother Sanjay Gandhi, and Amitabh Bachchan arrived at Delhi airport to welcome and receive her upon landing.
During that period, Amitabh Bachchan had not yet become a Bollywood star. Amitabh himself had previously shared on his television show Kaun Banega Crorepati that his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Jawaharlal Nehru were close friends during their years in Allahabad, which also brought Indira Gandhi and Teji Bachchan together.
In her memoir, Sonia wrote that Amitabh's mother, Teji Bachchan, quickly became a mother figure to her. Teji welcomed her warmly on the porch, offering comfort, guidance, and counseling as Sonia adjusted to life in India.
She also remembered the renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, noting that he greeted her warmly and later helped her learn Hindi. She recalled waking up early in the mornings to his footsteps and the sounds of his traditional morning prayers and bells.
Sonia noted that prior to her wedding, she spent nearly all her time with Rajiv either at the Bachchan residence or at the official home shared with his mother, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Source: Zarin TV Sources
🌐
