Sonia Gandhi says her memoir must create ‘tamasha’

In the 1.28-minute video, Mrs. Gandhi is seen leafing through the pages of her memoir, thinking aloud, “I don’t know if I should tell the whole story,” she says. Photo: X/@SoniaGandhi

The publication of her memoirs is bound to create some “tamasha” but it will allow her to set the record straight and tell her story, Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi said on Tuesday (Oct 27, 2026).

“There will definitely be some fanfare when this book comes out. After all, others have spent decades telling my ‘story’, now it’s my turn,” Mrs Gandhi said in a post on X on Tuesday, sharing a video offering a glimpse of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which is scheduled for release on November 10.

There will definitely be some tamasha when this book comes out. After all, others have spent decades telling my “story,” now it’s my turn. https://t.co/jDy5vBI8ey

— Sonia Gandhi (@SoniaGandhi) October 27, 2026

In a 1.28-minute video accompanying the post, Mrs Gandhi is seen flipping through the pages and pondering whether she should tell her full story.

“I don’t know if I should tell the whole story,” she says, before recalling the time her late husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, was asked to become prime minister. “When my husband was asked to become the Prime Minister, which I was strongly against…,” she said as the video moved on.

“People have different opinions; some people may change their opinions about me. Some people’s opinions may deteriorate, but that’s the way it is, that’s what happens when you write a book or when you’re in public life. There’s bound to be ‘tamasha’ as you say here,” says Mrs Gandhi.

Her remarks in the video were interspersed with footage of key moments in her life – from her marriage to Rajiv to his murder. There were also glimpses of Soni Gandhi attending an AICC meeting as well as photos of her with Rajiv and her two children – Rahul and Priyanka.

In her debut post on X on Saturday (October 23), Mrs Gandhi described her late husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi as a very good-looking and gentle person. She shared her memories of their life when she debuted on social media platform X.

Mrs Gandhi made her Instagram debut last Thursday (October 22) with posts about her upcoming book, which she described as “a story of love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong”.

This was Mrs Gandhi’s first foray into social media. Over the years, she used the X Congress handle to post her video statements or other messages and letters she wanted to make public.

Last month, HarperCollins India announced it would publish Mrs Gandhi’s 544-page memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India on November 10, ending uncertainty over the book’s domestic release after an “impasse” between the author’s representatives and Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

Exaggerated writings

“Well, I felt that since then a lot had been written about me and a lot of it was not quite right. It was either made up or exaggerated. So it made me feel that I was now able to put my story aside and describe the facts and things as they really were,” Mrs Gandhi added.

People have different opinions about her, and some of them may change after reading her book, while others may worsen, she said.

“…That’s what happens when you write a book or when you’re in public life. There’s bound to be ‘tamasha’ as you say here,” Mrs Gandhi said.

The video intersperses her remarks with photographs and footage from her life, including her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, his assassination, Congress meetings and family moments with their children, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Mrs Gandhi joined X last week after years of using the official Congress account to issue video statements and post letters and messages.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 20:34 IST