Vijay Sethupathi in Siddaramaiah biopic before Karnataka polls?

The movie plan comes at a time when Karnataka Congress president is repeatedly asking his party colleagues to 'stop worshipping individuals'

A hapless boy tends to cattle in the hinterland before starting school from Class 4. He grows up to become a bearded Lohia-ite and acquires a law degree. But he is not done. He dives into politics and scales the summit, as he becomes the chief minister after several twists.

The plot has all the makings of a whistle-worthy potboiler. And if all goes according to plan, it could indeed become a motion picture, with none other than Tamil powerhouse Vijay Sethupathi in and as Siddaramaiah.

Arguably the Congress’ most popular leader in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has been approached with a biopic idea, which his loyalist Shivaraj Tangadagi, a former minister, is pushing and eager to bankroll.

“Some people came to me from the Kanakagiri constituency saying they want to do a film. That’s all I know,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. He clarified that he will not act. “Not me...I don’t know acting.”

The Siddaramaiah biopic - the first on a politician in Karnataka - is one more effort to extol the Congress leader’s image ahead of the 2023 Assembly election, after his massive 75th birthday bash in August drew lakhs of people and made the BJP nervous.

“There are some youngsters in my constituency who want to make this film on Siddaramaiah’s life. They’ve even floated a production house called MS Creations and the director is this young bloke named Satyaratnam,” Tangadagi, the former Kanakagiri MLA, said.

Tangadagi is trying to get a formal go-ahead from Siddaramaiah. “Between December 6 and 8, we will meet Siddaramaiah. Once approved, work on the film will start by the end of December,” he said.

Sethupathi is being considered to play the rustic, sharp-tongued and borderline atheist Siddaramaiah. "Sethupathi because of the resemblance, the beard and all that,” Tangadagi said. “I am told that the director and producer have already contacted Sethupathi.”

The planned biopic will capture Siddaramaiah’s life in his native Siddaramanahundi village, his college days and political life. “Our desire is that the film should be released before the elections. The filmmakers want to make it a pan-India project. There’s no restriction on the budget,” Tangadagi said.

The movie idea also comes at a time Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar, a chief ministerial aspirant shadow-boxing Siddaramaiah, is repeatedly asking his faction-ridden party to “stop worshipping individuals.”