Lights, camera, politics! Indian film celebrities that embraced the political limelight

The film industry has always been a land of personalities, and some actors take that and translate it onto the political stage. Here in India, the transition from reel to real can be quite dramatic, with some actors leveraging their screen image to become political heavyweights. Let's take a peek at a few of these crossovers:

Amitabh Bachchan: A legend in Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan served a stint in the Indian Parliament, leveraging his star power to advocate for social causes. Even today, his voice carries weight in Indian politics.

The Deol Dynasty: Dharmendra, Sunny, and Hema Malini The Deol family is a true Bollywood dynasty, with three generations gracing the silver screen. Dharmendra, the patriarch, dabbled in politics after his acting career, serving as a Member of Parliament. His son, Sunny Deol, recently contested a seat in the Lok Sabha elections. Hema Malini, Dharmendra's wife and a Bollywood icon, has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for several years and currently serves as a Member of Parliament.

Govinda: Govinda has entertained audiences for years. His political ambitions are no secret, though his journey hasn't been as smooth. He has switched parties and contested elections with varying degrees of success. However, Govinda's popularity and connection with the masses remain undeniable.

Smriti Irani: Smriti Irani rose to fame as a television actress but set her sights on a different kind of stage. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and quickly climbed the ranks. Today, she is a prominent figure in Indian politics, serving as a Cabinet Minister.

Shatrughan Sinha: Shatrughan Sinha has also made a mark in politics. He was a Member of Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2019 for the Indian National Congress. Sinha is a two-time Union Cabinet Minister and has also served as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Rupali Ganguly: Rupali Ganguly, currently seen playing the titular role in Anupamaa, joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on May 1, 2024. The actress joined the ruling party in the presence of Vinod Tawde and Anil Baluni.

Urmila Matondkar: Bollywood Star in Politics Urmila Matondkar is a talented actress known for her roles in Hindi films. She contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Congress party. However, in 2020, she joined the Shiv Sena and has been active in politics since then.

Kangana Ranaut: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has been unveiled as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Alongside Ranaut, Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj, a senior BJP leader, will be contesting from the Kangra constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This announcement came with the release of the BJP's fifth list of candidates on Monday, March 25.

Jaya Bachchan: Jaya Bachchan, a veteran Indian actress turned politician, is a prominent member of the Samajwadi Party. She has represented the state of Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament.

Raj Babbar: Veteran actor and political stalwart Raj Babbar, a respected actor known for his powerful performances, has been actively involved in politics for decades. He has served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament and is a vocal advocate for social justice issues.

Jaya Prada: Actress turned politician Jaya Prada is a versatile actress who has worked in multiple regional film industries. In politics, she has been associated with several parties, including the Telugu Desam Party, Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Lok Dal, before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019.

Rajinikanth: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, widely acclaimed for his cinematic prowess and revered by fans for his iconic on-screen presence, ventured into the realm of politics with the establishment of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) in 2018. This move followed years of anticipation and speculation since his initial foray into political commentary in 1996. Despite his immense popularity and widespread appeal, Rajinikanth's political journey was relatively short-lived, as he announced the dissolution of the RMM on July 12, 2021.