Putin, a Russian love machine?

MOSCOW: You know Vladimir Putin the president, judo expert, and KGB veteran. Now a new Russian film introduces Putin the lover. The movie, A Kiss - Not for the Press , marks a rare fictional portrayal of the ultra-secretive Kremlin leader. Putin is not mentioned by name. But the plot about a man from Saint Petersburg who, like Putin, speaks German, has a secretive job, marries a stewardess, fathers two daughters, and becomes president, leaves no doubt. "What is he like in life and in the family? What is in his soul? Will he have room left in his heart for love?" asks the film's glossy publicity brochure. The film's answer to the last question is yes. Actor Andrei Panin plays a kinder, gentler version of the icy statesman dominating Russia's dreary state television programmes. "Mama, he's a normal man," gushes the hero's wife, who manages a passing resemblance to Putin's wife Lyudmila. In reality, little is known about Putin's personal life, compared to that of other world leaders. He rose to power eight years ago with almost no media probing. His plans after he is replaced in a March 2 election are also shrouded in mystery. Details the Kremlin permits emphasise an all-action president who skis, practices martial arts, and understands firearms. Photographs of him fishing bare-chested last year were the closest the diminutive but fitness-mad 55-year-old president has come to being a sex symbol.