THE TAILWINDS OF STARDOM

For some, 2nd Oct is not about Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Children's Day’ on 14th November is not about Jawaharlal Nehru, just as 25th December is not about Christmas, any longer.

Indeed, many more revered people, joyous occasions, or even officially declared ‘days’, could coincide on such days that must also be celebrated and recalled – but it is not naïve of those who pursuant to their partisan beliefs or politics choose not to celebrate a Gandhi on 2nd October, deliberately.

They could, as a Bollywood star did recently, tease and query further with loaded innuendoes about the appropriateness of the term, ‘father of the nation’, whilst supposedly recalling yet another distinguished son-of-the soil i.e., Lal Bahadur Shastri. It is not innocent, but small-spirited and petty. Even a proud and lifelong Gandhian like Lal Bahadur Shastri would shudder at anyone using his name to downplay the Mahatma. Yet some incorrigible and perhaps bitter citizens persist.

An undeniably talented, nationally awarded, but famously voluble actor and now Member of Parliament, who was incidentally pulled up by her partisan seniors for having crossed the line with her inflammatory rhetoric earlier, is one such repeat practitioner.

Having just made the transition from ‘reel’ to ‘real’ life implications of what she says hereafter, she has been corrected a few times. An invaluable and early lesson on political restraint, dignity and propriety was instantly served. By her own admission, she took it positively, “I was reprimanded by the party leadership and that's fine with me. I do not think I am the final voice of the party”. Yet it wasn’t to be the last time that they pushed the envelope. She did it again.

Earlier, a social media platform had banned her for violating rules on hateful content and abusive behaviour. The social-media platform suspended her account by clarifying, “We have been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behaviour that has the potential to lead to offline harm”. Yet, she had remained defiant, “They are Americans, and by birth a white person feels entitled to enslave a brown person”.

Soon thereafter she joined many other platforms to continue sharing her views and many were enthralled by the same, while many were shocked at the divisive vitriol. It was clearly polarising content – but winning from an electoral lens.

Clearly there was no rebuke from the partisan persuasion that she was supporting and soon she was rewarded with nomination for elections. She won fair and square and entered the Parliament. Only, the political landscape had changed rather dramatically, and it was now important to sound more inclusive, restorative, and less divisive. The requirements of political discourse warranted moderation, but she persisted with the old spiel, and was thus repeatedly rebuked, and did ostensibly agree to the same. Yet again, she returned to her basic instincts.

Weeks earlier, another talented actor and Member of Parliament (since 2004) with earlier instances of angsty and sour exchanges with the press and masses had got embroiled with the Vice President. During their fiery exchange she had alluded to her craft as an actor, and therefore her ability to read the intent behind the words. Both sides suggested malintent, deliberate provocation, and unnecessary drama – as always, the reaction to the same depended on who was asked the same. Some sympathized with her, others called her perennially bitter. But both sides dug their heels and there was no call for backtracking for either side.

All this hullabaloo has led to many speculating the role, relevance, and contribution of actors and ‘stars’ towards progressive politics. With the benches of the Parliament filled with ‘star power’ with the additional likes of Hema Malini, Arun Govil, Shatrughan Sinha, Manoj Tiwari, Chirag Paswan, Ravi Kishan, Suresh Gopi, Dev Adhikary, Rachana Banerjee, June Malia, Satabdi Roy etc., it is important to assess and debate the phenomenon that was once predominantly restricted to the Southern States, but is now thriving in Bengal, Bhojpuri heartland to even incredulously, the pristine and dignified land of Himachal Pradesh.

First things first, politicians who come from the film world have as much right and credentials as any citizen, societal grouping, or professional fraternity group to join politics, as any. After all, they represent the important voice of artists, culture and amongst the fastest growing sectors of the economy (estimated at over 200 billion INR, employing nearly 2 million people, directly and indirectly).

With such size, scale, and growth potential of their professional realm, those from this sector can contribute immensely by not just championing the said sector but also by valouring any other cause, sector, or region close to their hearts. They may have a slight head-start with an underlying popularity that naturally accompanies them initially, but beyond that, each of them earns their place in the heat, grime and dust of politics, as anyone else. So, to diminish their relevance or capability is unwarranted and unnecessary.

However, they can and must be questioned for what they bring to the table in terms of contribution, expressions, and positions, as ought to be questioned to any political person without fear or favour. In parliament, they are one amongst the equals with no special entitlements or leniencies.

So many actors have held the highest Ministerial offices like MG Ramachandran, Jayalalitha, NT Rama Rao, Smriti Irani, Karunanidhi, MH Ambareesh, K Chiranjeevi, Dasari Narayana Rao or the current Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan. The tailwind of ‘stardom’ could certainly take them a certain distance, but eventually each one of them succeeded or failed depending on what they were able to do for their constituents.

Many of them succeeded as politicians and are remembered for their politics and policies, as opposed to just their reel roles. Though it must be said that considering their sheer numbers in the National and State Assemblies, there hasn’t been very little progress and commensurate transformation in their alma mater of Film Industry. Issues like sexual exploitation (e.g., the ongoing Mollywood expose), gender pay parities, ensuring freedom of speech (with frequent bans and boycotts), fair remuneration for support staff etc., have remained regrettably unaddressed.

Therefore, with their fan following beyond politics, these ‘stars’ are often in a position to make significant impact on policy, politics and culture, beyond the rote confines of their partisan persuasions, if they choose – yet, instead of grabbing that opportunity to nuance, moderate, or even refresh the partisan thoughts, many of these stars simply amplify, extremize, or take even more provocative positions to inflame the situation.

It is a lost opportunity afforded to these stars. But they are no better or worse than the so-called representatives or ‘ambassadors’ from other professional callings e.g., former bureaucrats, doctors, defense veterans, sports personnel etc., who too have done precious little for their former realms, even though they may have gleefully invoked their previous life/professions to get elected to the Assembly.

But as the former actor and later President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan, once famously said, “It has been said that politics has been the second oldest profession. I have learnt that it bears a striking resemblance to the first”.

Perhaps it such insistences, compliances, and necessities of the partisan politics that leads these so-called ‘stars’ to disappointingly end up becoming so supine, amoral, and inflammatory, when instead they could do so much more for societal heal, inclusivity and dignity of every citizen, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or region.

Lt. General Bhopinder Singh is the former Lieutenant Governor of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry and an Indian Army officer who was awarded the PVSM. Views are the writer’s own.