New Delhi, Nov 12, 2026 13:36 IST
Long before she became part of the prominent political family, Sonia Gandhi was introduced to various facets of Indian culture by Rajiv Gandhi during their time together in London. Ranging from the cinematic masterpieces of Satyajit Ray to the music of Mohammed Rafi and Ravi Shankar, these shared experiences provided her with an early window into the country that would later become her home.
In her autobiography, titled Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi details Rajiv's passions outside of his academic pursuits, highlighting his strong inclination toward photography, cinema, and music. According to her account, photography was a craft he inherited from his father. During their leisure hours, the pair frequently visited the Imperial laboratory, where Rajiv personally developed photographs capturing Sonia, their circle of friends, and nature.
Music also formed a significant part of their relationship. Rajiv would deliberately save money to purchase records for himself, his mother, and his friends. The couple spent considerable time browsing at the HMV record shop in London, often listening to tracks for hours before exercising restraint to buy a single record each. His musical preferences extended across jazz, pop, Western classical, and Indian classical genres, leading him to introduce Sonia to jazz and various Indian musical styles. Among the gifts he presented to her were a record featuring ghazals by Mohammed Rafi and another highlighting sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.
Film served as another medium through which Rajiv shared his cultural heritage with Sonia. He arranged outings to view Merchant Ivory Productions' Shakespeare Wallah alongside Satyajit Ray's celebrated Apu Trilogy.
Sonia Gandhi writes in her memoir that these viewings of Shakespeare Wallah and Ray's trilogy—comprising Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansar—opened up a small window for her into the diverse facets of Indian life. Published recently in November, the book provides readers with an intimate look into her personal history away from the political spotlight.