Suresh Gopi, G Krishnakumar and M Mukesh in Kerala election fray
Suresh Gopi, G Krishnakumar and M Mukesh in Kerala election fray
In Kerala the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has undoubtedly turned out to be of the most star-studded events in Kerala, a state which has largely marked off amidst its politics and cinema.
Even as actors Suresh Gopi in Thrissur is BJP’s star candidate, G Krishnakumar who has always endorsed the BJP is contesting from Kollam opposite veteran actor and LDF’s M Mukesh.
Regardless their celebrity status, it is to be seen whether with their star power emerge victorious like their counterparts in other states.
Hopes are pinned on Suresh Gopi, contesting for the second time and whether he will emerge as the first BJP candidate to gain a seat in Thrissur that has shown alliance to both the LDF and UDF over the years.
Though Tamil Nadu celebrities had tasted success as long as the 1950s when M G Ramachandran, known popularly through his moniker MGR, came into power, in Kerala, the scenario is different.
It’s true that legends like filmmaker Ramu Kariat had won a seat for the LDF in the 1964 Assembly elections at Nattika in Thrissur, it was just a shadow of what politicians in Tamil Nadu were achieving.
Notwithstanding a slew of other political entries from Tinsel Town, the true star moment arrived for Kerala in 2014 when the late actor and politician Innocent won the Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate of the LDF.
Prem Nazir reportedly went to the extent of seeking votes for the Congress party at 42 venues in a single day.
However, Innocent’s lucky tryst with politics was short-lived and the beloved actor failed to create a spark among the voters when he contested again in the LDF ticket in 2019, losing to Congress politician Benny Behanan. His jovial and warm image may have wooed voters initially, but down the line, voters probably saw him as just another political candidate.
Prior to this, Prem Nazir too made a significant entry into politics, though he never contested in the elections in Kerala. The evergreen actor was in the final stages of his career when he was inducted into the Congress party in the 1980s. Though Indira Gandhi had personally urged the evergreen actor to contest as a party candidate in the elections then, he refused.
After the veteran actor Innocent completed 50 years in Malayalam cinema, he later agreed to become the party’s star campaigner after a slew of talks, following which he started campaigning for the political party in Thiruvananthapuram.
Interestingly, Prem Nazir had harboured dreams to float his own political party as a young adult but decided against it when he realised it was not his cup of tea.
Nevertheless, he was relentless with his campaigns and even went to the extent of seeking votes for the party at 42 venues in a single day!
Mukesh who is known best for playing relatable and hilarious roles in Malayalam cinema is a two-time MLA, but whether it will be enough to win a seat in the Lok Sabha polls will be decided only when Kerala goes to the polls on April 26.
Director and actor Rajasenan, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Devan, Jagadheesh and Bheeman Raghu were all film stars who made their foray into politics but did not make an impact at various elections.
Prolific actor Murali too contested in the Lok Sabha elections in 1999 after he was handpicked by former Kerala chief minister
V S Achuthanandan to contest from Alappuzha. While the actor was initially hesitant, he later gave in after much persuasion from scriptwriter Cherian Kalpakavaadi. Murali had a large mass following owing to his onscreen persona and acting prowess, but, the actor did not stand a chance against the Congress’s candidate and then incumbent MP
V M Sudheeran.
News Edit K.V.Raman
