Politics has always had a strange fascination for film stars. In Tamilnadu we had MGR and Jayalalitha, and in Andhra Pradesh we had NTR who became the Chief Ministers of their states.
Sunil Dutt was another example of a film star turned politician. We also have people like Chiranjeevi, Jayaprada, Sanjay Dutt, Vijayakanth and Sarathkumar who have a foot in films and another in politics. But this mingling of films and politics is not always a healthy trend.
Some can make the transition successfully but others find the going tough. Kerala is one state where film and politics have never mixed. Prem Nazir, a popular hero of yesteryears, tried his luck but failed. In Tamilnadu there has been much speculation about superstar Rajnikanth’s entry into politics. But he has maintained an enigmatic silence so far.
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Amitabh Bachchan too tried to dabble in politics and withdrew after he got his fingers burnt. Heroes like MGR and NTR were helped in their political aspirations by the fact that they had a strong public image of saviors of the poor and the downtrodden. People, especially the poor and the unlettered, often tend to forget that roles are only make-believe.
The person behind the greasepaint may be a totally different being than the characters he portrays on screen. Of course, he may not be a bad person but ruling a state and its people is not like enacting a role in a film. Still, people like MGR and Jayalalitha have done many good things for the people.
The noon meal scheme for poor children was introduced by MGR. The ‘cradle baby scheme’ to prevent female feticide was implemented by Jayalalitha who was MGR’s heroine and protege.
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At the same time charges of corruption and abuse of power have also dogged such leaders. Not all film stars make good politicians but, if they do, then the people will have no problems in accepting them.