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

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 10, 2018)

Before the broadcast of Swami Ramdev: Ek Sangharsh — a show based on the journey of Baba Ramdev — from February 12, the yoga-guru-turned-businessman is ensuring that the series doesn’t go unnoticed. The makers, Abhinav Shukla and Rohit Chaudhury, have organised a special screening at the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi today. While the event will boast of a powerful guest list, interestingly, Ajay Devgn — who returns to television as a producer with the show — will be conspicuous by his absence.

Says a source from the creative team, “This place holds importance in Baba Ramdev’s life, as he had held a shivir [camp] of almost 10,000 people at this venue in 2002. Several politicians are expected to attend the screening, including finance minister Arun Jaitley, home minister Rajnath Singh and minister of electronics and information technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad.” The source adds that Devgn will be missing from action, as he is busy with the shoot of his next.

Baba Ramdev, on his part, says that the story of his “sangharsh” is one that needs to be told. “I have faced sangarsh [challenges] all along and the show traces it. [Through the show], I want to give a message to all my countrymen — never give up. Life will come with its challenges but if you are up to it, then nothing can stop you from succeeding.”

Rampal’s ‘abandoned postbox’ tweet attracts the attention of Union communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who asks him for details; actor yet to respond
Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; May 18, 2016)

Last week, Arjun Rampal tweeted a picture of a decrepit letterbox that he stumbled upon while in Kolkata shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani 2. Barely 24 hours later, Union Minister of Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad commented on his post, seeking details about its location, but the actor hasn’t responded so far.

A source says, “Prasad’s ministry also tried calling Arjun’s phone, but it went unanswered. Arjun hasn’t returned the calls either.”

The actor had tweeted: “With an abandoned postbox. Gosh, I remember so clearly when we used to post letters. Extinct today (sic).”

To this, the minister wrote: “Hi Arjun! If you can share the location then @IndiaPostOffice will restore this letter box. Thanks”.

We too tried getting in touch with Arjun, but he did not respond to our text message.