Priyanka is a blue-belt, linguist

Not many of us would know that the charismatic Priyanka Vadra is a blue belt in martial arts. Or that she is a trained Bharat Natyam dancer.

Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi's daughter also takes a lot of interest in art, culture, history and literature. She has a great sense of humour and makes friends easily. And, she is a bit of a perfectionist.

These vignettes of information are part of a poll-time coffee table pictorial album — Eternal Rajiv: Epitome of Humanity — that celebrates the clean chit given to Rajiv in the Bofors case by the Delhi High Court.

Authored by Shyam Goenka, grandson of the late media baron Ram Nath Goenka, the 552-page volume walks down the memory lane with several rare photographs that give an insight into the personal and political life of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Music is the binding force in the household, says the book.

Priyanka could perhaps match former PM P.V. Narasimha Rao in linguistic abilities. She is fluent in Hindi, English, Italian, Russian, Spanish, German and Punjabi. Her hobbies: writing, painting, poetry and riding. And much like her aunt Maneka Gandhi, she and her brother Rahul love pets.

Rahul picked up an interest in photography from his late father. He is said to be a gentle person, protective towards his mother and sister.

The book doesn't say much about Rahul's education in Harvard, merely mentioning that he went there in 1991. But he, like Priyanka, started his primary education in Junior Modern School in Delhi. Later, he went to Doon School, Dehra Dun, and St. Stephens' College, Delhi.

There is a separate section on Rahul's maiden election trail in Amethi in which Sam Pitroda is quoted as saying that Rahul is far more analytical than Rajiv. "He is very good with numbers and data. And he has the flair," Pitroda said.

The AICC, which was hard put to provide a Rahul’s bio-data when it announced his candidature from Amethi, can now perhaps skim through the pages.