The Indian film industry, popularly known as Bollywood, has always had a close connection with politics. Many film stars have tried their luck in politics and some have even succeeded in making a mark in the political arena.
The intersection of Bollywood and politics in India is a complex and fascinating topic that warrants a closer look.
One of the earliest instances of a Bollywood star joining politics was in 1962 when the legendary actor Dilip Kumar campaigned for the Indian National Congress party during the general elections.
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However, it was in the 1980s when Bollywood stars began to actively participate in politics. The late actor and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.G. Ramachandran, was one of the first Bollywood stars to enter politics and achieve great success.
He founded the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) party and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977.
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Another popular Bollywood star who made his mark in politics was Amitabh Bachchan. In 1984, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Allahabad on a Congress ticket and won by a huge margin.
However, his political career was short-lived, and he resigned from his seat after three years following allegations of corruption in the Bofors gun deal.
Another famous Bollywood actor who dabbled in politics was Sunil Dutt. He contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North-West constituency on a Congress ticket in 1984 and won. He was re-elected in 1991 and 1998.
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Dutt was known for his contribution to the rehabilitation of 1993 Mumbai bomb blast victims and was also appointed as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2004.
The famous South Indian actor, Rajinikanth, also made headlines in 1996 when he announced his decision to enter politics. He formed his own party called the Tamil Nadu Makkal Mandram (TMM) but later withdrew from the race after suffering a defeat in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
In recent years, several Bollywood stars have entered politics with varying degrees of success.
The popular actor and comedian, Govinda, contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constituency in 2004 on a Congress ticket but lost to the BJP’s Ram Naik.
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The actor Sanjay Dutt also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 2009 but lost to the BJP’s Lalji Tandon.
In 2014, the former actress and BJP MP, Hema Malini, contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from the Mathura constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In 2019, the BJP fielded the actor Sunny Deol from the Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab, and he won by a margin of over 80,000 votes.
However, the intersection of Bollywood and politics in India has not always been smooth sailing. The controversy surrounding the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020 turned into a political battleground with several politicians and Bollywood stars taking sides.
The Maharashtra government, headed by the Shiv Sena, faced criticism from the opposition BJP for its handling of the case, while several Bollywood stars were also dragged into the controversy.
In conclusion, the politics of Bollywood in India is a complex and fascinating topic. While many Bollywood stars have tried their luck in politics and achieved varying degrees of success, the intersection of these two worlds has also been marred by controversies and conflicts. It remains to be seen how this relationship will evolve in the future.
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