Political parties are welcoming Tinseltown folk into their fold. A known face can go a long way in drawing crowds and win elections
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; April 28, 2019)

Tinseltown and politics have always had an intrinsic connect. There is nothing like roping in cine idols and popular faces from the entertainment world to draw the crowds and hopefully garner the votes. In the on-going Lok Sabha poll, several actors have tossed their hat into the ring to test their popularity. Last week, Sunny Deol joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Within hours, he was nominated the party's candidate from Gurdaspur, Punjab. Singer Daler Mehndi is the latest to join the party and was welcomed into the fold by leaders singing his track, Bolo Ta Ra Ra Ra.

Though it is not a new phenomenon - there have always been actors-turned-politicians - the rush by politicians to get film folk to endorse their respective parties is seen as a one-upmanship game. It is well known that some celebrities endorse it for money, especially those who do not harbour ticket aspirations. Others, for a party position and there are those who do it because they want to test new waters.

Former Bigg Boss contestant and Haryanvi dancer Sapna Choudhary has been campaigning (right) for BJP candidates in New Delhi. She says, "I have not joined the party. I am doing it because my friends are contesting." She considers Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari her pal, so has been part of his roadshows.

Last month, she found herself courting controversy after she found herself being welcomed by both the Congress and BJP into their fold. There was talk that she would get a ticket from Lucknow. "I didn't want to contest or join any party. But when my friends, who are standing for elections call me, I go."

Television producer Saurabh Tewari who has made shows like Zindagi Ke Mehak and Krishna Chali London too joined the BJP because of the friend-in-the-party factor. He is currently taking time off the shoots and has parked himself in Patna to canvas for Ravi Shankar Prasad who is taking on Congress's Shatrughan Sinha. Explains Tiwari, "I know him, this is the reason I joined the party. I am still a newcomer, so this election is like a training ground for me. I am still learning the ropes. I accompaned him to fill the nomination."

Tiwari says may be in the future he will take the electoral plunge but for now, he is happy canvassing for Prasad. "Right now, my production house is set and I can take off to do other things. Earlier, when I was just setting off, there was no time to do anything else."

Another television name who took the political plunge was Shilpa Shinde (left), best remembered as Angoori bhabhi on Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain and winner of Bigg Boss season 11. So far, she has not canvassed for the party but is planning to go to Bhopal to muster support for Digvijaya Singh. "I know his wife [Amrita Rai]. She called me and told me that as I was a popular face, they would like me to the campaign. I consider it an honour that they are aware of me and my work."

Shinde says she was always politically conscious thanks to her father, Satyadev Shinde. "He was a social worker and a die hard Congressman. I have grown up watching him interact with leaders like Sharad Pawar and Sushilkumar Shinde. So you can say, I was exposed to politics."

The actor adds that she did not join the Congress to get a ticket. "I am still new in politics. I do not want things readymade. May be in the future, I may harbour aspirations after I have got a first-hand experiene what elections are all about."

Shinde claims she was offered a ticket to stand from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, but she declined it. "Uttar Pradesh is the hotbed of politics and I did not see myself being a part of it."

Another actor who recently took the political plunge was Isha Koppikar (top image), who joined the BJP. Best remembered as Bollywood's Khallas girl after the chartbuster, she says, "I joined politics because I wanted to serve the country. I liked the transformation and governance in the last five years. I was inspired by the leadership of Narendra Modi. There have many positive changes in terms of the Swaach Bharat campaign, infrastructure and our presence in the global market. I am sure the BJP will continue doing better work if elected again. I am supporting the development of our country."

Koppikar has been appointed the executive chairman of the party's transportation wing. She did not want to contest the election. "I have campaigned for the party in Jalna (below) and Goa," she says. Shinde is now hopeful that she will bag a party post. "We will have to wait till May 23 [the day of the counting of votes] because only then a clear picture will emerge. Right now everyone is busy with the elections."




Sapna Choudhary


TV producer Saurabh Tewari (extreme left) campaigns for Ravi Shankar Prasad in Patna

BOMBAY TIMES (August 3, 2017)

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 26, 2017)

Kailash Kher reacts to his song not being chosen as BJP's anthem for the polls. The party has selected its Delhi chief, Manoj Tiwari's track instead
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 13, 2017)

Akhtar lists the Bhojpuri movies he's binging on to prep for desi character from eastern India in his next film
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 1, 2017)

Suave enactments in his sophisticated outings have often earned Farhan Akhtar accolades, and now the actor-filmmaker hopes a rustic demeanour for his upcoming drama, Ranjit Tiwari's Lucknow Central, will elicit similar response. Farhan, who plays an aspiring Bhojpuri singer, an ardent Manoj Tiwari fan in the film, binge-watched on a series of Bhojpuri films to prep for the part.

Confirming the news, the actor's spokesperson says, "Films like Banke Bihari MLA (2007), Dhamaal Kayla Raja (2011), Hamaar Devdas (2012) and Sasura Bada Paisawala (2004), among others, were on Farhan's list. Since he is playing an aspiring actor, who is a fan of Manoj Tiwari, Farhan wanted to get all the nuances right. He decided to watch the movies and understand the tonality of the language. He saw all of them in a week's time."

In the film, Farhan ends up behind bars due to unforeseen circumstances, and eventually starts a band with the other inmates. The first schedule was shot at a massive two acre set in Film City, and wrapped up last month. The unit is currently filming in Lucknow.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2017)

Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari talks about how life has changed after entering the political arena, singing for Bollywood films and more
Deepak Singh (BOMBAY TIMES; October 23, 2015)

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 28, 2014)

Politics takes precedence over acting in the lives of most actor-politicians. But Manoj Tiwari, the Bhojpuri actor who was elected to Parliament from North East Delhi this year, has continued to churn out potboilers. But Tiwari may soon become less prolific.

Buzz is, Narendra Modi has asked Tiwari to stay away from these low-budget commercial films.

Mirror has it that Tiwari was rather surprised by his wish.

A friend of Tiwari told Mirror, "In his defence. Tiwari told Modi that the films are his bread and butter. But all said and done, Tiwari has eventually taken it in his stride."

When contacted, Tiwari told Mirror, "Modi did have a word with me. He didn't tell me that I should stop doing the typical Bhojpuri films. But yes he did say: 'Please come up with a film which I can watch'."

And what does that mean? Tiwari replied candidly, "You can interpret that as: Mr Modi wants me to do saafsuthri films."

Added Tiwari, "We are pressing for Bhojpuri language to get official status. So, I think Mr Modi wants me to set an example. He wants me to do films which are in line with our party's ideology. He wants me to do movies which have a strong social message. I don't think he is wrong."