knowledge has no horizons

Acting on the stage is different from administering a state. It is not just a matter of putting make-ups, and fighting for good and justice and coming on the screen wherever the poor and the needy are facing problems are possible for heroes only in the cinemas. It is easier said and done in cinema than in reality. The questions that this essay seeks to clarify are whether the cine heroes can be "real" heroes in reality and just showing off one's face on the screen is just enough for an actor (or actress) to start a political party on his (or her) own or to be a part of an existing political party. If every actor is of the same thought, it is sure that the country couldn't afford to it.

The state of cinema in Indian is absolutely different from that of other countries. In fact, cinema is here not just viewed as a matter of entertainment, and the actors and actresses as entertainers, particularly in the southern part of India. A side-actor in India who has just shown his/her face on the screen attracts a lot of attraction of the people when he/she makes public appearance. This is the case of a side-actor, then think of the one who plays leading roles or acts as a hero/heroine. No matter for the people if they start a political party, because they are always ready to vote for them, no matter who in reality they are. Voting for the actors in the elections is not that much painstaking as erecting a temple that we did for Kusbhu, a Mubai-born Tamil actress, in Trichy.

I try my hand in this essay about the actor-turned-politicians, giving special attention to the ones in the southern part of India. The cinema has become an unavoidable factor in politics and the impact of it can easily be seen in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and somewhat in the politics of northern states. To strengthen this, we can adduce the chief ministers from the Dravidian parties who have their backgrounds in cinema - C.N. Anna Durai, M.K. Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jeyalalitha - among the four, the first two were the writers of stories and dialogues, and the second, full-time actors.

The height of entry of actors into politics reaches its zenith with the arrival of Vijayakanth, a rice mill owner-turned-actor-turned-politicians running his party with hope of becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 2011. Quite unfit even to be a politician, he has created a kind of illusion of invulnerability in the preceding election. A leader, whether political, religious or others, should be a role model for his followers or disciples to follow. Those belong to DDMK should think and question themselves of "under what grounds he can be a role model for them and how"? Above all, a man who can't control himself cannot control the state. The following incidents can corroborate the above statement: scolding one of his fans or party men before the public for throwing garlands that happened to "hurt" his body at Karungalakudi, near Madurai, and beating his PA in election campaign van for unwittingly running into him. Above all, the thing that cannot be pardoned by anyone with sense of respect for people and their feeling is calling the sitting chief minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Karunanidhi by his name, forgetting "his age is the honourable chief minister's experience in politics".

It is also as obvious as the moon in the clear sky for anyone with a little interest in politics that Panrutti Ramachandran acts as the brain for his party. This is reflected recently when he evaded the question by the reporter about the terrorist attack on the economy capital of India, Mumbai, as he had not "received" any report about the attack from the Panrutti. Also, honouring the voters of his constituency is not in giving the name of his "won" constituency to his film, but in going the assembly as the representative of his people. Alas, he was busy in shooting the film, "Mariyathai" (respect). Yes, he has shown a good respect for "his" people? The supremo of the DMDK has shined a super actor in cinema, no doubt about that. But, in politics?

"Akila India samathuva Makkal Katchi" is another party in Tamil Nadu having an actor as its supremo. Sarath Kumar, having the credit of keeping a muscle-bound body, entered the cinema as a "villain" and managed later to secure a place for himself as a successful hero with subsequent hit movies. Found himself famous, he joined the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam) and became the Rajya Sabha MP. Albeit an actor, he knows the art of jumping into parties and then starting a one for his own. (I am not talking here about the stamp that it bears as a party belonged to a particular community to which Sarath Kumar himself belongs to.)

Politics is always taken as a weapon for actors when there are no chances for them in cinema or when they are unable to shine as previously in the field. A very good example for the above idea is Karthik, who has recently started a political party, which, he claims, is absolutely for and the development of particular community. It is almost known to everyone that he had been in Forward Block as the state secretary. What are his characteristic traits apart form the fact that he is the son of Muthuraman, also an actor, and belongs to Devar community, and what else has he done for the welfare of his community before entering into politics (i.e. while he was acting)?


The late-sevalie Sivaji Ganesan – appointed as Congress MP in 1980s, later started a political party and contested in 1989 Assembly elections and got defeated – and Bhackiyaraj of Tamil Nadu need not that much attention as the above-mentioned four actors, as the parties of these two "expired". Excluding these discussed, we had and have actors as MLAs in Tamil Nadu assembly, like Napolean and S.V. Sekar and MPs like S.S. Chandran and actors contested in the previous elections, like Mansoor Alikhan.

Apart from the actors, actresses are also actively participating in political business. Latha had been in politics with Thirunavukarasu's M.G.R.Khazhagam. Roja and Vijaya Shanthi are becoming popular figures both within their respective parties and Andhra Pradesh political scene. Vijaya Shanthi is the leader of Thalli Telungana party, and Roja is the Telugu Desam Party women secretary.

When one even thinks of the Andra Pradesh politics, Chiranjeevi becomes an inevitable leader. though the Tollywood superstar inaugurated his party "Praja Rajyam" a few months ago, his popularity among the people make the previous "IT" chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the sitting "Agri" chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy shivering alike. But the question why the Tollywood super star is so fond of doing service to the people of Andhra, which he can do while he is acting and not entering into politics, is mysterious.

To counter the emerging party of Chiranjeevi, Telugu Desam of Chandrababu Naidu has brought the actor Balakrishna and Junior NTR, both the son and the grandson of N.T. Rama Rao, respectively, into the political battle. He has also made Roja, an actress, the women secretary. Congress is on the hunt for actors and actresses for campaigns. This is the fate of a century-old party!

N.T. Rama Rao starting Telugu Desam Party in 1983 at the age of 60, a party that is now owned by Chandrababu Naidu and co., had the history for himself becoming the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh just within nine months after starting his party.

If we look in a nutshell at the actor-turned-politicians from the Bollywood we can find that the North too made the history of making actors into MPs and ministers. Nargis Dutt, a Bollywood actress and the wife of Sunil Dutt – the later himself was the congress MP and the cabinet minister – was appointed Rajya Sabha MP by Indira Gandhi. From that onward, the actor-family continues to be inseparable from politics. Sanjay Dutt, the son of Sunil Dutt, is on the move into politics and expresses his willingness to contest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, representing Samajwadi party. His sister Priya Dutt is already the Congress MP in Congress-ruling government. This might be true in the case of Samajwadi party, as this is the only party in the national level that has had the notoriety of making politics as the primary business for actors and actresses.

The ever-superstar of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan, was also for some time doing political business in Samajwadi party. His wife Jeya Bachchan is the current Samajwadi party MP in Rajya Sabha. There are rumours about the entry of Aishwarya Rai into politics, and it seems that “negotiations” for making her a politician from Samajwadi party is under process. Now it becomes our duty to remind political parties in India, especially Samajwadi party, that Abisheik Bachchan the actor is still left only as an actor in the family.

Shabana Azmi, another actress from the Bollywood, was an MP, representing no party in the Rajya Sabha. Vaijayanthi Mala, Hema Malini, Jeyapradha, Poonam Dhillon, and Juhi Chawla already made their marks in politics. Coming to the actors-turned-politicians, we have Rajesh Khanna (a Congress MP during 1991–1996), Shatrughan Sinha (BJP), Govinda (a Congress MP for Mumbai North), Raj Popper (a Samajwadi party MP for Agra in UP), Vinoth Khanna (a BJP MP for Kurthaspur in Punjab), and Dharmendra (a BJP MP for Bihaner in Rajasthan). The last three earned infamy for not participating in debates in the Parliament (7, 5, and 0, respectively).

Talking internationally, Ronald Regan and Arnold Schwarzenegger need special mentioning here, as they became the President and Governor of California, respectively, in the United States, yet they started their careers just as actors. First being a member of Democratic party, Regan then jumped (into) Republic party and started canvassing in support of his republic party. While having got defeated in the Presidential election as the Presidential candidate of Republic party in 1968 and 1976, he then succeeded in becoming the governor of California in 1964 and 1970. “Famed” a failed actor by the people, he finally laurelled his head as the head of the United States in 1980 and 1984.

No doubt, cinema plays a vital role and has a significant impact in changing people’s lives. But the question the essay seeks to clarify is whether it is possible for4 the actors to do good and strive for the welfare of the people without getting into politics. The answer will be a simple “yes”. Charlie Chaplin propagated his ideas in support of socialism and condemned Nazis and tyranny in his films. Kazhaivanar N.S. Krishnan and M.R. Radha from India agitated for and brought about social reforms through their films and plays. Marvin Brando, Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, all are actors, were in the news for their strife against racism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and atrocities against the natural inhabitants of America, and got supported from the political viewers.

As the people above-mentioned, albeit actors, proved themselves to be useful to the society without getting into politics. It is also worth noting here the Hindi director Mahesh Butt’s standpoint that an actor standing out of the circle of politics can succeed in getting things done for the people. Dev Anand, who was in politics for sometime, especially in 1977, also corroborated Butt’s viewpoint.
Then what makes the actors choose politics as the only means for doing service to the people is left to them themselves. It will be good for all if the actors entered and with the aim of entering understand the fact the politics is not just “start-camera-action” business, and fighting for the sake of the poor is possible and easier in “reel” than in “real”. Will they?