THE TIMES OF INDIA (April 30, 2019)

Mumbai: The blue election ink parted some of Mumbai’s most well-manicured index fingers on Monday as popular Hindi film personalities lined up at polling stations.

Early risers who headed to the polling stations included actors Priyanka Chopra, Rekha and Madhuri Dixit. “This is the moment that matters....Every vote is a voice that counts,” tweeted Chopra.

Deepika Padukone, who was born in Denmark, flashed her inked finger on social media and alluded to speculations around her citizenship by tweeting: “Never has there been any doubt in my mind about who I am or where I’m from. So for those of you confused on my behalf...please don’t be!Jai Hind! #proudtobeanindian #govote."

It was to clear a small yet significant confusion that Shah Rukh Khan brought his son AbRam, shrouded in a brown hoodie, along to the booth. “Little one was a bit confused between ‘Boating’ and Voting, so took him along to experience the difference,” tweeted SRK.

Aamir Khan, who arrived with wife Kiran Rao, managed to crack up the crowd outside St Anne’s High School in Bandra with a joke that went thus: “So the American president went on a walk and met a man who failed to recognize him. ‘What do you do?’ asked the stranger. ‘I’m the president of America. What do you do?’ said the leader in response. ‘Oh, I’m the one who gets to choose the president of America!’ said the man.”

Shortly after, Sanjay Dutt entered the polling station in Mumbai North Central with wife Manyata. When quizzed about his sister Priya Dutt’s chances, he said, “Woh pata nahi par bhai ka asar zaroor hoga (I don’t know but I think her brother’s appeal will surely play a role),”

Actor Kangana Ranaut took an apparent dig at Congress on emerging from the polling booth. “Now India is attaining freedom in the right sense, because before this we were slaves to the British, the Mughals and Italian governments,” said Ranaut.

Among the celebrities who flew down from overseas specially to vote were actor Bhagyashree of the ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ fame and cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. Others who inspired the public to vote was actor Sonali Bendre who was diagnosed with cancer last year. “Democracy is a gift. I have voted for progress and development,” said Bendre.

Actor Emraan Hashmi wished for “honesty” and “all-rounded sensibility” to prevail as foremost aspects of governance. Gulzar, who walked into his polling station in Bandra around noon, said, “I hope that the secular values of our country don’t break. I want to see equal opportunities for everyone with no caste or religion to separate one Indian from another,” he said.

And for those who didn’t vote, Hindi film industry’s original bad man Prem Chopra had a message: “If you don’t exercise your right to vote then you don’t have the right to later complain about the government.”