The Hindi film industry is like that vast sea with fish of many types. All of them are sensational and highly talented in their own right, which is why the success stories are sometimes incredible to hear. If we closely compare the ratio of success and failure in the entertainment industry, it is a no-brainer that we hear more of the latter. But hey, doesn’t that make the first part even more exciting and inspiring at the same time? An old saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” But hey, folks, we are in 2023, ladies and gentlemen. Now, you can be a jack of all trades and a master of all too.
Well, that’s exactly where the celebrities feel the quench to try new stuff and excel in multiple fields simultaneously. While some chose acting or direction, some even like capitalising on their popularity and using it to good effect in politics. Many such celebrities in the Hindi film fraternity have also built successful careers in B-Town as actors and renowned politicians. So today, let’s take a quick look at some of the top names in this regard:
AMITABH BACHCHAN: A humongous personality, ain’t it? Big B plunged into politics in 1984 to support his longtime friend Rajiv Gandhi. He had contested the 8th Lok Sabha from Allahabad and even won by a significant margin. After that, he resigned post three years following the Bofors scandal. Later, he supported his friend Amar Singh from the Samajwadi party. However, he himself never actively joined the same.
SHATRUGHAN SINHA: Whenever you hear this name, you go “Khamoosh” in no time, right? He was a Lok Sabha member from 2009 to 2014 and a Rajya Sabha member from 1996-2008. He also served earlier as the health and family welfare and shipping minister. He later joined a Congress post to which he wasn’t given a seat by the BJP after the 2019 elections.
GOVINDA: Whenever we hear this name, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘man of the masses’. The actor became an MP in the year 2004 for the first time. 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. Apparently, as per media reports, he probably felt that he was fielded with just the purpose of defeating Ram Naik’s post, which the Congress apparently lost interest in him.
KAMAL HASSAN: The man is a legend in the true sense of the term. If you are his true fan, there’s no way you will not have heard about his regional Tamil party called Makkal Needhi Maiam. In the 2019 elections, his political party lost after contesting for 37 seats with just a mere 3.72% vote share. Ever since then, he hasn’t really done anything ‘out of the world’ in Indian politics till now. However, there’s always a possibility for a better tomorrow, right?
JAYA BACHCHAN: The lady is quite a successful politician. She joined the Samajwadi party in 2004, and presently, she’s a respected member of the Parliament representing Uttar Pradesh.
HEMA MALINI: Our very own ‘Dream Girl’ is a legend in Indian cinema, undoubtedly. Well, not just B-Town, she mesmerized one and all with her magic, even in politics. She joined the BJP in the year 2004. She represents the Mathura constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
DHARMENDRA: B-Town’s “OG He-man” was a member of Parliament for BJP and had represented the Bikaner constituency between 2004-2009. Not only was he successful as an actor, but he also managed to do incredibly well for himself, even in politics and was immensely loved.
KIRRON KHER: She’s been a seasoned actress in B-Town. Even in politics, she is pretty successful. She joined the BJP in 2009 and represented the all-important Chandigarh constituency.
SUNNY DEOL: “Dhai kilo ke haat” ka jalwa wasn’t just seen in movies, ladies and gentlemen. He has been simply incredible, even in politics. For the unversed, Sunny Deol represents the Gurdaspur constituency of Punjab and even won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
URMILA MATONDKAR: The diva has been working right from the time of her childhood. As a child, she started working as a young performing artiste, and after a successful career in movies, she joined politics. In 2019, Urmila Matondkar contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Congress party. However, in 2020, she joined the Shiv Sena party.