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Filmmaker Sooraj <keyword id="40286" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="barjatya" source="Orion">Barjatya</keyword> says he is set to venture into digital space soon with at least three web series under development at his family banner Rajshri Productions. These projects will focus on family-friendly entertainment, a genre championed by the production house through films such as "Nadiya Ke Paar" (1982), "Saaransh" (1984), Salman Khan-starrers "Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" (1994) and "Hum Saath Saath Hain" (1999). Barjatya said he was inundated with many offers from leading streamers during the coronavirus pandemic to explore the digital medium. "We have been offered to make Rajshri kind of stories by all platforms. After the pandemic, families have come together. I am surprised and happy. We are in the process of starting three-four series soon." "It is in our space (family entertainers). Some are in the scripting stage, others are in the ideation stage. We will look at all of this post the release of 'Unnchai'," the 58-year-old director told PTI in an interview here. Back in 2017, Barjatya had said the production house was toying with the idea of making content for the web. Rajshri has already produced many successful TV shows like "<keyword id="11857" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="woh-rehne-waali-mehlon-ki" source="Orion">Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki</keyword>" and "Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara". Currently, the filmmaker is looking forward to the release of his upcoming feature "Unnchai", a drama about four friends, played by Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa. Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika also round out the cast of the film, slated to be released on November 11. Post "Unnchai", Barjatya said he will focus on a string of projects, including a web series, a movie with his frequent collaborator and friend <keyword id="6354583" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="salman-khan" source="Orion">Salman Khan</keyword>, and his son Avnish Barjatya's directorial debut. With Avnish's movie, the filmmaker will launch actor-MP Sunny Deol's younger son Rajveer and actor Poonam Dhillon's daughter Paloma. "After 'Unnchai', I will get busy with my younger son Avnish's movie, starring Rajveer and Paloma. As a producer, it is a big responsibility. After that, I will start my film with Salman Bhai. It is in family space," he added. Barjatya shared that it is <keyword id="6355601" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="khan" source="Orion">Khan</keyword> who often encourages him to make family-oriented movies. "He says 'I do my action everywhere but we will do family (dramas) together. He always encourages me to go back to what we do, he is like let's do the same thing... Like having a brother, sister and family because no one does that today. "He says, 'Let's go back to these (films)'. Essentially, it is a part of his life and even mine. Besides, both of us want to spend more time together," he said. Barjatya's last directorial was the 2015 film "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", starring Khan and <keyword id="6505896" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sonam-kapoor-ahuja" source="Orion">Sonam Kapoor Ahuja</keyword> in the lead. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/chief-twit-elon-musk-refuted-reports-of-twitter-layoff-before-nov-1/articleshow/95194068.cms">Chief Twit Elon Musk refuted reports of Twitter layoff before Nov 1</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/boat-joins-cult-fit-to-launch-at-home-workout-programme/articleshow/95199482.cms">boAt joins cult.fit to launch at-home workout programme</a>

Sooraj Barjatya to enter the OTT space, has three family-friendly web series under development

<ul><li>The 44-year-old was found hanging from the fan of the kitchen on Wednesday night, police officials said. He may have been dead for two days before he was found, they said.</li><li>Sharma, who also worked in serials such as "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki", "Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyar Ke" and "Wo Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki", lived in a rented flat in Chincholi Bunder locality in Malad (West). </li><li>Sharma's death comes at a time the entertainment industry is reeling from the shock of the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.</li></ul>Television actor Samir Sharma, best known for his roles in "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" and "Left Right Left", was found dead in his home in suburban Malad where he lived alone, police said on Thursday. The 44-year-old was found hanging from the fan of the kitchen on Wednesday night, police officials said. He may have been dead for two days before he was found, they said. "We have not found any suicide note at the spot. It seems to be suicide case. It is suspected that he hanged himself two days back. We have sent the body for an autopsy," Malad police station's senior inspector George Fernandes said. Sharma, who also worked in serials such as "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki", "Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyar Ke" and "Wo Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki", lived in a rented flat in Chincholi Bunder locality in Malad (West). His body was discovered by the building's watchman, who peeped through the kitchen window and saw him hanging. He then alerted members of the society who informed the police. Police rushed to the spot and took Sharma to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, another official said. Efforts were on to get in touch with the family of the actor, who had been living alone since February, he said. Based on primary information, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered, Fernandes said, adding that further investigations are underway. On July 27, Sharma posted his last words on Instagram with a poem on death and dreams. "I built my pyre and slept on it and with my fire it was lit. And all that was me I burned in it. I killed my dream to wake up from it. Now my dream is gone," he wrote on his page. After that, he posted some photographs but no written content. His bio on Instagram reads "Actor. Writer. Poet" and mostly has shots of beaches and videos of him driving to scenic places. Sharma's death comes at a time the entertainment industry is reeling from the shock of the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. Rajput's death, which will now be investigated by the CBI, exposed many faultlines in the industry. "Depression is a lonely disease," Sharma had posted after Rajput's death. "Biopolar Disorder, Depression, and Schizophrenia etc. do you know or understand what that means or feels like? No you don't, unless you've been through it yourself. And anybody who hasn't, will never ever be able to understand what that feels like," he wrote on July 22. Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra, who worked with Sharma in "Hasee toh Phasee", condoled the actor's death. Sharing a picture with Sharma from the film, Malhotra wrote, "Really sad and unfortunate #RIPSameerSharma." Actor Varun Dhawan also shared a picture on his Instagram stories and wrote "#RIPSameerSharma". On June 9, Rajput's former manager Disha Salian jumped from a high-rise building. The month earlier, on May 15, TV actor Manmeet Grewal had hanged himself at his Mumbai home. ZA

Indian TV actor Samir Sharma, who is popular for his roles Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Left Right Left, found dead in his Mumbai home

<ul><li>The weekend collection of <keyword id="46636" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pati-Patni-Aur-Woh">Pati Patni Aur Woh</keyword> starring Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Pandey is pegged at ₹34 crore. </li><li>Panipat starring Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon registered a slow start. </li><li>Panipat’s total box office collection is almost the half of Pati Patni Aur Woh. </li></ul>Pati Patni Aur Woh starring Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Pandey had a good weekend. The rom-com earned nearly ₹9 crore on its first day, and its weekend collections are pegged at ₹34 crore. If the film continues to hold on to its audience on Monday, it will be a hit, <a href="https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=5690">reported Box Office India. </a> <div type="twitter" handle="taran_adarsh" handlename="taran adarsh" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1440352704/profile_pic_taran_normal.jpg" favoritecount="7617" retweetcount="410" status="#KartikAaryan versus #KartikAaryan... *Day 1* biz... 2019: #PatiPatniAurWoh ₹ 9.10 cr 2019: #LukaChuppi ₹ 8.01 cr 2… https://t.co/xnxpNCqoQz" createdat="1575699184000" id="1203195702026940417"></div>
 Pati Patni Aur Woh is Kartik Aryan’s best opening day ever. Luka Chuppi’s first day collections stood ₹8 crore whereas that of Pyaar ka Punchnama 2 and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety were at ₹6 crore. Both these movies went on to be superhits that established him in the industry. He is one of the busiest actors today and bagged the sequels of two hit franchises — Love Aaj Kal 2 and Bhool Bhulaiya 2. Pati Patni Aur Woh itself is a remake of BR Chopra’s 1978 film where Abhinav Chintu Tyagi struggles to balance his married life and an affair. Last week, Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus Panipat starring Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon-- also released. The movie which depicts the third battle of Panipat in 1761 however registered a slow start. It made ₹4 crore on its opening day and ₹5.78 crore on the second and its total weekend collections were at ₹18 crore. Panipat’s total box office collection is almost the half of Pati Patni Aur Woh. Panipat narrates the story of Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali — the ruler of Afghanistan. Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Ban+on+panipat&amp;rlz=1C1GCEU_enIN864IN864&amp;oq=Ban+on+panipat&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.2386j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">demanded ban on</a> the movie as it portrays Bharatpur king Maharaja Surajmal in an unseemly manner.

Pati Patni, Woh aur paisa — the Kartik Aryan starrer earns twice as much as Arjun Kapoor’s Panipat

Celebrated poet and lyricist, <keyword id="1651073" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahat-Indori">Rahat Indori</keyword>, who was being treated for COVID-19, died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday in Indore. He had tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday. We have lost a legend. Urdu poet Rahat Indori is no more, but these lines will live for eternity. Here’s a look at some of his memorable works – poetry and shayari. Yu to har phool pe likha hai ki todo mat, Dil machalta hai to kehta hai choro mat Suraj, sitaare, chaand mere saath me rahe, Jab tak tumhare haath mere haath me rahe, Shaakhon se toot jaaye wo patte nahi hain hum, Aandhi se koi kah de ki aukaat me rahe.. Teri har baat mohabbat mai gawara karke, Dil ke bazaar mai baithe hai khasaara karke, Muntazir hoon ke sitaaro ki zara aankh lage, Chaand ko chat pe bula lunga ishara karke.. Zubaan to khol, nazar to mila, jawaab to de, Mai kitni baar luta hoon mujhe hisaab to de, Tere badan ki likhawat mai hai utaar chadaav, Mai tujhe kaise padhunga mujhe kitaab to de.. Ek ek harf ka andaaz badal rakha hai, Aaj se humne tera naam ghazal rakha hai, Maine shaho ki mohabbat ka bharam tod dia, Mere kamre mai bhi ek tajmahal rakha hai.. Nayi hawaaon ki sohbat bigaad deti hai, Kabtooro ko khuli chat bigaad deti hai, Aur jo jurm karte hain itne bure nahi hote, Saza na deke adaalat bigaad deti hai.. Ban ke ik hadasa bazaar me aa jayega, Jo nahi hoga wo akhbaar me aa jayega, Chor uchkkon ki karo kadr, ki maloom nahi, Kaun, kab, kon si sarkaar me aa jayega Hum ab makaan mai tala lagaane wale hain, Pata chala hai ki mehmaan aane wale hain Jawaniyo mai jawani ko dhool karte hain, Jo log bhool nahi karte bhool karte hain, Agar anarkali hai sabab bagawat ka, Saleem hum teri shaertein kubool karte hain.. Afwaah thi meri tabiyaat kharab hai, logo ne pooch pooch ke bimaar kar dia Do ghaz sahi magar ye meri milkiyat to hai, Ae Maut! tune mujhe zamidaar kar dia.. Chalte firte tume mehtaab dikhayenge tume, Humse milna kabhi punjaab dikhayenge tume, Chaand har chaat pe hai, suraj hai har ek aangan mai Neend se jaago to kuch khwaab dikhayenge tume. Log har mod pe ruk ruk ke sambhalte kyu hain, Itna darte hain to fir ghar se nikalte kyu hain. Na humsafar na kisi hamsheen se niklega, Hamare paav ka kaata ham hi se niklega.. Aur isi gali mai woh bhooka fakeer rehta tha, Talaash kijiyae khazana yehin se niklega Yahin imaan likhte hai, yahin imaan padhte hain, Hume kuch aur mat padhwao, hum Quran padhte hain, Yahi ke saare manzar hai, yahi ke saare mausam hain, wo andhe hai, jo in aankho me Pakisthan padhte hain..

Here’s a look back at Rahat Indori’s famous poetry and shayari

NEW DELHI: In the last nine months, he made millions in India run through an entire gamut of emotions: anger, aversion, pluck, mirth, amazement and much more. In all these speeches, <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> looked like a man in control of his emotions. But on Tuesday, after being elected leader of the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> parliamentary party — in other words, the PM elect — he choked with emotions. Modi wept. 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Full-text-of-Narendra-Modis-speech-in-Central-Hall-of-Parliament/articleshow/35420762.cms">Read full text of Narendra Modi's speech in Central Hall of Parliament</a> 
 
Before him, his senior L K Advani had wept. In fact, he triggered the emotions in Modi. Years from now those present at Parliament's historic Central Hall on Tuesday, may or may not remember what Modi said. But few, if any, will ever forget the moment when tears welled up in the BJP leader's voice and eyes revealing a carefully concealed softer side. 
 
Responding to Advani's speech where he had said that Modi had done the party a kripa (favour), he said, "Advaniji ne ek shabd kahaa. Main Advanji se prarthna karoonga ki woh iss shabd ka istmaal na kare. Unhone kaha ki Narendra bhai ne kirpa ki (Advaniji said that I have done a favour to BJP. I will request him not to use this term)." 
 
 
 
At this juncture, the BJP leader broke down. He paused to sip water and took a moment to gather himself before continuing. 
 
"Kya ma ki seva kabhi kirpa ho sakti hai? Katai nahin ho sakti hai. Jaise Bharat meri ma hai waise hi BJP bhi meri ma hai. Aur isliyee beta kabhi ma par kirpa nahin karta, sirf samarpit bhav se ma ki sewa karta hai (Can a son do any favour by serving the mother? Not at all. Like India, BJP is also my mother. A son never does any favour. He only serves his mother in a dedicated manner)," he said. 
 
 
 
Like a gifted artist who makes the audience sway with the emotion, Modi appeared to be making others emotional. Some like Ravi Shankar Prasad were tearful. 
 
It was evident right from the very beginning that it was day of emotional drama. While entering the Parliament building, Modi knelt and placed his forehead on the green carpeted steps like a devotee before a temple. "This is the temple of democracy," he said later. 
 At the start his speech, Modi was overcome up with feelings while talking about former BJP <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="47100" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee">Atal Bihari Vajpayee</keyword>, who is unwell. "Had Vajpayeeji been well, his presence would have been 'sone par suhaga' (icing on the cake)." 
 
Throughout the speech, Modi underlined the power of the pause during speech. Emotions aside, he not only displayed his command over the Hindi language but also spoke like a man in total control and command of everything he surveys. 
 
<keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> reactions after Modi's speech 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Having lunch in the Central Hall of Parliament with all the elected BJP members! All of us quite emotional after hearing Modiji's speech!
	— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) <a href="https://twitter.com/dreamgirlhema/statuses/468676576083595264">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		After many, many years, it feels like India has got a Prime Minister, and not a puppet. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ModiTakesCharge&amp;src=hash">#ModiTakesCharge</a>
	— Abhilash (@talkabhilash) <a href="https://twitter.com/talkabhilash/statuses/468685127313149954">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		After hearing modi speech yest I can see a new era of responsibility has begun not only for them but for every indian to shape a new india
	— Subhash Ghai (@SubhashGhai1) <a href="https://twitter.com/SubhashGhai1/statuses/468945244156076032">May 21, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Emotional start to a tough journey , All the best Mr. Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ModiTakesCharge&amp;src=hash">#ModiTakesCharge</a>
	— Neha Sharma (@reinventlife24) <a href="https://twitter.com/reinventlife24/statuses/468685134682550272">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ModiTakesCharge&amp;src=hash">#ModiTakesCharge</a> trending worldwide! This man has something powerful in hus name. A true leader seen by the Indians.
	— Jay Pitroda (@GujjuSRKian) <a href="https://twitter.com/GujjuSRKian/statuses/468685141590560768">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Narendra Modi cries in Central Hall of Parliament. Made all of us emotional too. Afterall it's victory of good over evil <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ModiTakesCharge&amp;src=hash">#ModiTakesCharge</a>
	— Momee Borah (@RazorSharp_24) <a href="https://twitter.com/RazorSharp_24/statuses/468683912084848640">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Proud to witness dis day whn Modiji bows dwn at d staircase of Central Hall of Parliament! We hv nvr seen any PM doing dis! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23moditakescharge&amp;src=hash">#moditakescharge</a>
	— SOUMYAJIT SADHU (@I_SOUMYAJIT) <a href="https://twitter.com/I_SOUMYAJIT/statuses/468684770231058432">May 20, 2014</a></blockquote>

In Parliament For First Time, Narendra Modi Leaves Many In Tears With Speech That Mixes Drama With Substance

When everyone had apprehended that he had vanished, that didn’t really happen. Mushtaq 'Tiger' Memon has returned to haunt Mumbai Police’s conscience yet again, not personally but through a phone call. Twenty two years since perpetrating one of India’s deadliest terrorist attacks, leading to the death of close to 300 people after a series of bomb blasts rocked India’s finacial capital, Mumbai, Tiger ranks as one of the most wanted criminals in Mumbai Police’s diary. 
 
Though there has been no direct connection with the police, phone calls tapped at Memon’s family residence in Mumbai informs that Tiger may be planning on taking revenge for his brother, Yakub’s hanging on 30th July. 
 
According to a leaked copy of the transcript of the purported conversation, between Tiger and his mother, on the morning Yakub was hanged at a jail in Nagpur, the conversation holds a sinister tone enougg to make the Mumbai Police go scurrying. 
 
 
 
Tiger made the call to his mother at 5:30 am in the morning, barely an hour before Yakub was to be hanged. His mother wasn’t in the state of conversing with his son when her other son was awaiting to face the gallows. The conversation shows that Tiger who has never repented for the blast in Mumbai that killed hundreds is not grieving for his brother’s impending fate, rather talks of revenge, to which his mother didn’t approve of. 
 
The officials from security agencies in Mumbai and Delhi have confirmed the call from Tiger. Tiger Memon and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim were the key conspirators behind the Mumbai blasts. The coordinated attacks across 13 locations in the city on March 12, 1993, claimed 257 lives. 
 
Here is the complete transcript of the conversation between Tiger Memon and his mothe: 
 
Landline phone at Memon’s Mumbai residence rings. 
 
An unidentified man (UM) from the Memon residence picks up the phone. The caller doesn't identify himself but quickly says, " Salam walikum, Hello" 
 
The unidentified male (UM) then replies: Walikum salam Bhai. 
 
Tiger: Ammi Jaggi hai kya. (Is mother awake) 
 
UM: Woh raat bhar soyi nahi hai. (She hasn't slept since last night) 
 
Tiger: Baat karao ( I want to speak to her) 
 
There is a pause of around 30 seconds as the cordless phone is being taken inside to the room where the mother is. While going to the room UM meets someone else who asks who is on the line, UM carrying the phone says, 'Bhaijaan ka phone hai,'. 
 
The Unidentified Male enters a room and tells his mother: "Bhaijaan baat karenge," He repeats it again: "Bhaijaan baat karenge." 
 
There is some murmuring which is not audible. Hanifa apparently doesn't want to talk to Tiger. So the UM insists, "Tum baat to karo." 
 
Hanifa Memon, the mother of Tiger Memon then takes the phone, there are a few moments of silence. In a feeble voice she says something to Tiger that is inaudible. 
 
Tiger: "Salam walikum Ammi khairiyat." 
 
In a feeble voice she says something the voice is inaudible. 
 
Tiger says: "Salam walikum ammi khairiyat?" 
 
Hearing this- the mother Hanifa starts crying. There is a pause for 35 seconds as she sobs. 
 
Tiger then says: "Zulm ki inteha ho gayi hai. Zaya nahi jayega," (This is the height of injustice, this will not go waste.) And repeats it one more time: "Yeh sab zaya nahi jayega," 
 
Yakub's mother starts sobbing more on the phone now. 
 
So Tiger promises: "Tum ro mat ammi iska inko izafa dena hoga." 
 
Hanfia says something which is inaudible- 
 
Tiger: "main unko chukwaonga" (I will make them pay) 
 
Tiger's mother says in a feeble voice: "Bas ho gaya, Pehle ke vajah se mera Yakub gaya ab aur nahin main dekh sakti. 
 
main nahi dekh sakti 
 
main nahi dekh sakti" 
 
And begins to cry again. 
 
The UM who answered the phone initially then takes the phone again from the mother and says: "Bhai..." 
 
Tiger says: "usko sambhalo, sabko sambhalo" 
 
UM replies: "Woh abhi baat nahi karengi woh ro rahi hai. sab ro rahe hain." 
 
Tiger: "Sabke asoo zaya nahi jayenge" (Everyone's tears will not go waste) 
 
"Sabka khayal rakho" (Take care of everyone) 
 
UM: "Dua pado bhai" (Recite some prayers) 
 
The phone gets disconnected then. The call made from a VOIP connection was bouncing from one Internet Protocol address to another, so the trace was not completed.

Tiger Memon, India’s second most wanted terrorist said this to his mother, the morning his brother Yakub was hanged!

NEW DELHI: Imagine a Narendra <keyword id="2196111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi-vs-Priyanka-Gandhi">Modi vs Priyanka Gandhi</keyword> contest for the Varanasi <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> seat. It would have been the mother of all election battles, and would have put everything and everyone else in the shade. It would have electrified the nation and riveted the attention of the world. 
 Priyanka Gandhi is reliably learned to have been very keen to be the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> candidate in the holy city. But the party leadership finally decided against fielding her. 
 Priyanka, who has so far limited her political responsibilities to managing her brother and mother's Lok Sabha campaigns in <keyword id="43068" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rae-Bareli">Rae Bareli</keyword> and Amethi, is believed to have made a strong pitch to contest because she felt Modi was “bad for the country” and needed to be “stopped”. 
 
Apart from perhaps tying up Modi in Varanasi and forcing him to curtail his national campaign, Priyanka's entry would have charged up the rank and file of the Congress at a time when a number of ministers and leaders were reluctant to fight elections of fear of losing (one senior Cabinet member is reported to have feared a rout). The fact that she was willing to place 'a higher principle' above a real risk of defeat would have sent out a strong and defiant message to the demoralized troops, and hopefully, the entire electorate, Congress insiders said. 
 
“Even if she’d lost, the results would have been only known after the elections. But it would have come as a huge booster before. It was very courageous of her. That’s something senior Congressmen who’ve run away from contesting didn’t understand,” said a party manager. 
 
 
 
 
Senior partymen said the decision to not field Priyanka was driven by the logic of preferring a ‘local’ to take on Modi the ‘outsider’. But there may have been other reasons too: 
 
* The estimate that Priyanka's presence in Varanasi would have accorded Modi “too much importance”; 
 
* The fear that defeat of one of the three Gandhis might have dimmed the ‘halo’ around them; 
 
* It would almost certainly have exposed Priyanka to attacks from Modi and the BJP on account of her husband Robert Vadra's alleged ties with real estate giant DLF and brought some of his other reported land deals under the microscope; 
 
* Most of all, it would have diverted attention from Rahul and his campaign, and raised questions as to whether Priyanka's entry was an implicit acknowledgement of her brother's lacklustre leadership. There might have been some apprehension that Priyanka, by the force of her personality, would have greater gravitational pull than Rahul. She has been variously described by those who know her as “charming, charismatic and connected”; her political instincts are also said to be sharp, and she can work a crowd. The 41-year-old Priyanka’s entry could have undermined Rahul’s authority not long after he'd been officially anointed future leader. 
 
For Priyanka, who is said to be very close to her one-year-older brother, the reason for wanting to contest in Varanasi was never to position herself as an alternative to Rahul, but to “fight the good fight”, according to an insider. “She has no larger ambition to lead the Congress,” he added. 
 
Still, her desire to take the field against Modi is significant because it’s in stark contrast to the continuing perception of Rahul being a reluctant politician, and because it shows that the younger sibling may not be averse to broadening her political interests behind the family boroughs of Rae Bareli and Amethi. For a long time now, there has been a subterranean demand, ‘Priyanka lao, Congress bachao’, which periodically finds public voice. 
 
One of the reasons the Congress delayed naming a candidate for Varanasi was because it was weighing the possibility of naming Priyanka. But the actual decision against fielding her was taken some days before Tuesday’s announcement of local MLA Ajay Rai as candidate for the Congress; the last few days were spent seeking a tacit understanding with SP and BSP for complicating Modi's job in Varanasi. 
 
Significantly, early this month, in perhaps the strongest push yet for bringing Priyanka to the forefront of the Congress, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said that Rajiv Gandhi spoke to him about his daughter’s political aptitude way back in 1990. The question is: Was Dwivedi aware of the secret confabulations and was he trying to test the waters? 
 
While promising to reveal details in due course, Dwivedi said, “As far as I know, her (Priyanka) interest in politics started at an early age. She was keen to understand political developments and the language of politics from the very start. I even have proof of this but I don’t want to discuss it now. All I’ll say is that Rajiv Gandhi told me something about this in 1990. That’s all for the moment.” 
 
The comment immediately led a group of Congress leaders to claim, off the record, that there were plans afoot to bring Priyanka into active politics. 
 
That plan has been shelved, at least for the moment. As for Rai’s chances in Varanasi, even the boldest gambler is likely to think twice before placing a bet on him. 
 
But Priyanka is clearly still interested in Varanasi, even if she’s not in the fight herself. At a meeting at the Tughlaq Lane residence of Rahul last Monday, Priyanka gave Rai a pep talk soon after the party decided to field him. 
 
“Priyankaji ne kaha ki aap jam kar ladiye. Unhone apna personal mobile number bhi diya aur kaha ki aapko jo bhi zaroorat hogi woh aap turant bolen. Woh aapko muhaiyya karayi jaayegi. (Priyankaji told me to fight wholeheartedly. She gave me her personal mobile number and told me not to hesitate to ask for anything that I may need and said I will be given every help),” Rai quoted her as telling him.

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