Multitasking is indeed an art. Especially in the acting profession, as a performing artiste, you might need to play any character for which you might need additional skill sets. Different skill sets and being a multi-dynamic personality make you more attractive as a star, and we all know it. Over time, actors who become massive stars realize their popularity can be encashed upon for things beyond the 70mm screen. Add to that the passion and drive to serve the country and do your bit to return the love and affection bestowed upon you for many years is a beautiful feeling. Well, this drive has been the biggest reason why many actors decided to also venture into the world of politics. While some have chosen to do so after retiring from acting, some have done the same while simultaneously being relevant in the profession.
While popularity can initially lead to tremendous support from the masses, what many often don’t realize is that a celebrity is not necessarily a popular ‘candidate.’ No matter how noble someone’s intentions are, one is not getting the big seats just based on the popularity they command. This is the biggest reason why some of the biggest names in Indian cinema failed as politicians surprising one and all when the world thought that they would shine. So today, we look closely at a few such big names who might be massive stars but eventually failed to create an impact in the world of politics.
AMITABH BACHCHAN: A humongous name. Doesn’t just the title give you all this feeling that this man can never go wrong? However, that wasn’t the case in his political career. He plunged into politics in 1984 to support his longtime friend Rajiv Gandhi. He had contested the 8th Lok Sabha from Allahabad and won significantly. Post that, he resigned after three years following the Bofors scandal. Later, he supported his friend Amar Singh from the Samajwadi party. However, he never actively joined the same.
RAJESH KHANNA: Not many perhaps remember that the late superstar was an MP from Indian National Congress, where he won the 1992 election and eventually retained it till 1996, after which he gave up on politics.
SHATRUGHAN SINHA: He was a Lok Sabha member from 2009 to 2014 and a Rajya Sabha member from 1996-2008. He also served earlier as the minister for health and family welfare and shipping. He later joined a Congress post, to which he wasn’t given a seat by the BJP after the 2019 elections.
JAVED JAFFREY: One of the most talented names in the entertainment space, Javed had entered the world of politics with the noble intention to eradicate the shortcomings prevalent in the system. He had contested in the 2014 general election from the Lucknow constituency on an AAP ticket. However, he lost to Rajnath Singh, and ever since then, he has never tried his luck again in politics.
GOVINDA: A man of the masses in the true sense of the term. It’s difficult to imagine this name in this list, right folks? He became an MP in the year 2004. He had won the Mumbai North constituency on a Congress ticket by defeating BJP’s Ram Naik. However, in 2008, he announced that he wished to quit politics. According to media reports, he probably felt that he was fielded to defeat Ram Naik’s post, which the Congress lost interest in him.
MAHESH MANJREKAR: His talent is beyond any question, and well, we have admired all his films. The actor/director joined MNS led by Raj Thackeray and contested the 2014 elections from the Mumbai North-West constituency. However, he lost to Shiv Sena’s Gajanan Kirtikar post and quit active politics for good.
KAMAL HASSAN: He’s a legend in the true sense of the term in Indian cinema. However, not sure if he’s the same in Indian politics as well. He had formed his regional Tamil party called Makkal Needhi Maiam. In the 2019 elections, his party lost after contesting for 37 sears with just a mere 3.72% vote share. Ever since then, he hasn’t done anything ‘out of the world’ in Indian politics till now. However, there’s always a possibility for a better tomorrow, right?
RAJINIKANTH: Although the legendary Rajinikanth cannot be directly called someone who failed in politics, he can undoubtedly be regarded as someone who failed to execute his plans after announcing them to the entire world. He had announced his political party named Rajini Makkal Mandram post, which his fans were looking forward to the same. However, later, he told about the dissolution of his party post, and he said he had no plans to enter politics. One of the most curious cases indeed, it is.