By Madhulika Gupta
The latest trend of film stars entering the political arena started with industry big-shots like MGR and Prithviraj Kapoor. MGR, the poster boy of South Indian cinema, became one of the first actors to find success in politics besides being a charm on the big screen. Almost a decade later, Prithiviraj Kapoor earned himself the title of first actor to become an MP in the 60s, when he was nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat. Since then, the dramatic world of Indian politics has seen a lot of Bollywood actors find a successful second career in politics.
This generally happens after these actors have established themselves as stars who need no introduction and are practically living legends. Such has been the case with superstar Rajinikanth. With political populist agendas like ‘fighting for justice’ and ‘working for people’, an increasing number of actors have made the shift from the Box Office to the Ballot Box. However, not all actors emerge as victorious heroes in the stormy waters of Indian politics.
Rajinikanth is the latest entrant
Soon after Rajinikanth announced his decision to join mainstream politics on December 31, 2017, the question most commentators were asking was if there anything that Superstar Rajinikanth cannot do? With the actor announcing that he would run under the banner of his very own party, there is now a frenzy over the rise of celebrity politics in the south of the subcontinent. Understandably, with a massive popular following, there is no doubt that Rajini will be overwhelmingly chosen by his fans.
Interestingly, the actors decision to join politics has a lot to do with the allegations of misgovernance that are rampant in the state. The film star described the circumstances in which he felt he had to launch a political campaignbecause it was a “need of the hour.” His decision came just a few days after actor Kamal Haasan made public his decision to follow the path of other actors-turned-politicians like MGR and J Jayalalitha. That being said, Rajinikanth is not one of the first actors to enter politics with a mission to rid it of the dirt of corruption. There have been many before himactors who tried to use their stardom as a tool to woo votersbut have had very different fates.
Why associate Ballot Box to Box Office
Since the average population of India rely solely on Bollywood and other Indian cinema for their entertainment, movies play a great role in shaping minds. This is especially true for the illiterate and backward population. The reason why actors become so popular is because of the old good versus evil paradigm in film. Movies are not just a means of entertainment but actually give people hope to be more like the characters people see acted on the big screen.
When the reel life character is a God-worshipping, prodigal son who loves his country more than Bhagat Singh did and respects women, people assume this to be the character of the actor in real life too. And so, actors end up winning elections with a hefty mandate just because of a character they played on screen.
Actors who tried to make a second career
When Prithiviraj Kapoor became the first actor to be bitten by the politics bug, he set the tone for actors taking the road to political life. Soon after he was appointed as a Rajya Sabha MP, another veteran, and much-loved actor, Dev Anand rolled out his new political party called The National Party of India.
These two events set the wheels in motion for successful actors to hop on the political bandwagon. Another notable example is the Bachchan family, which produced both the superstar Amitabh Bachchan as well as the actress Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan, who both entered the political arena at some point.
Other Bollywood celebrities who embraced politics include actresses Hema Malini, Rekha, Vyjayanthimala, Shabana Azmi, Kirron Kher Jaya Prada, and of course the late J Jayalalitha. Leading men at the pinnacle of their Bollywood careers who joined politics include Rajesh Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Govinda, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, and Sunil Dutt among others. While some have had a successful second inning in life with politics, not all film stars have been able to strike a chord with the masses.
Can heroes in reel life be heroes in real life?
Although the number of actors making a foray into politics is staggeringly high, not all political careers last long enough to see the light of the day. It happens often that stardom and an actor’s fan-following can help them to obtain a strong political mandate. But the same stardom cannot help them fulfill the promises they make along the way.
Govinda, for instance, was criticised openly when he chose to ignore the 2005 floods in Mumbai and failed to make any effort to connect with the people of his North Mumbai constituency. Naturally, the actor did not contest the elections after that and bid adieu to his political career.
Getting elected and then disappearing is a common characteristic that can be seen in actors-turned-politicians quite frequently. Rekha, a phenomenal actress, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and took the oath a few days later. However, her attendance in the House was less than 5%. Sholay actor Dharmendra too had been regularly missing parliamentary sessions while he was in politics. He has been quoted as saying that he “never wanted to get into politics, but was dragged into it.”
Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan is another case. The actor has had a splendid career in films, taking up roles from all walks of life and nailing them, but then he tanked as a politician. Bachchan was a close friend to late PM Rajiv Gandhi and it was at his suggestion that Bachchan decided to try his hand at politics. In a discussion with senior journalists Barkha Dutt and Shekhar Gupta, Big B revealed that it was emotions that drove his decision to get into politics. He won with an overwhelming mandate, but he blames his inability to fulfill those promises as the factor that drove him to resign his Allahabad seat. Celebrity status can get an actor a stupendous vote share but it cannot guarantee success in their political endeavours.
Some recorded successes
However, this is not to say that all actors have the same fate once they get into politics.
Kirron Kher, for instance, has been equally successful at politics and film. She is very vocal about certain social issues and advocates very strongly for women’s safety. On a similar note, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi have been quite successful in their political careers.
Vinod Khanna is a phenomenal example of those actors who have had glorious political careers. Not only is Khanna a four-time MP, he has also been a Cabinet Minister during the Vajpayee days. And this is not to mention how victorious Ammaor Jayalalitha, as she is fondly calledwas after she decided to carry on the MGRs legacy.
The fates of the biggest of movie superstars change every Friday. However, as with films, political stardom can only woo voters initially. Failing to deliver on campaign promises can turn even the most loyal voters against greatest megastar. Nevertheless, the onus lies on the voters whether or not to choose to send a celebrity to the heart of politics.
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