Till date, several Bollywood films and shows have been inspired by revolutionary names such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel etc. But now, probably for the first time, Indian showbiz is set to have a full-fledged tryst with another historical figure, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan and All-India Muslim League leader has earlier been portrayed in various historical films, based on other iconic leaders).

We have learned that producer Kumar Taurani has acquired the rights of the book, Mr And Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India, written by Sheela Reddy. Taurani confirms the news, saying: “Yes, we have just bought the rights (of the book) but there’s no decision yet as to what format it should be developed in — a feature film or a web series. For that, we would need to have a creative team including a director and writer in place. Let’s see. It’s too early to say anything.”

Calling the book “an intimate study of a scandalous marriage,” The New Yorker underlines that it throws light at the “gossip and scandal created by the interfaith marriage of a reclusive barrister (Jinnah) and his teen-age bride (an 18-year-old Rattanbai [Ruttie] Petit from the-then Bombay).

Reddy’s book, which also weaves in Jinnah’s political journey, was first noticed by Taurani’s internal creative team. “They are always on the look out for interesting content including literary works. When they suggested this book, I thought it was very interesting and unique,” says the producer.