Top Bollywood Celebrities Who Switched Their Careers

Politics and Bollywood are the two main factors which can bring an immense amount of change into society. Especially in a country like India, it can influence people by creating an entourage through these professions.

Bollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the world. The amount of love Bollywood celebrities get from people is unfathomable. Speaking of popularity, the Indian political scenario does not lag far behind, as well.

Though both the fields have their own share of pros and cons, several actors-turned-politicians have created their own niche in both the professions. While some may have opted for one career, others are juggling between both.

Bollywood Celebrities Into Politics

There will always be people around us who will want to help society and bring about a change. Though, to make that happen, there should be some kind of power or fan base through which you can appeal to a wider audience. And in a country like India, people have always shown their love for Cricket, Bollywood, and Politics. But unless someone has that kind of power, it is not possible to pan out the things that these people want to do for society. But professions like these can give that kind of padding to be able to work towards it.

Let us look at some of the biggest Bollywood celebrities who have been active in politics.

• Urmila Matondkar

Matondkar has worked in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. Her style and dancing skills were widely appreciated by the audience. Masoom is one of her finest performances and she had really given her heart and soul to the film. Although Masoom is one of the feathers on her cap, she has also been a part of other spectacular films. She has always been appreciated for her acting skills and her contribution to Bollywood.

But besides acting, Matondkar also had an interest in politics. She had joined the Indian National Congress for a brief stint, before formally joining Shiv Sena on December 1, 2020, at Matoshree. While many actors continue to work in films whilst their political commitments, the actress has decided to just focus on her political career for now. Kudos to her for always speaking her mind and doing what she believes in, irrespective of people supporting her or slamming her.

• Jaya Bachchan

Jaya Bachchan is considered one of the most versatile actresses in the Indian Film Industry. The Silsila actor had a penchant for taking up strong female roles, as she did in the films Guddi, Silsila, among others, and while at it, even managed to surprised everyone with her extraordinary talent. Mrs. Bachchan has always been appreciated for her professional as well as personal choices. She is also an active member of the Indian political system and has been dedicated to it for a while now.

Bachchan was first elected in 2004 as a Member of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha till March 2006. She was re-elected in 2012 and 2018 for her third and fourth term respectively. After foraying into politics, she has not been as active in Bollywood, but, we have seen her playing small yet significant roles over the years. Being a public figure, she is always surrounded by cameras, and Bachchan has always been vocal about her thoughts on the paparazzi culture and how she is not quite welcoming about it. She doesn’t seem to enjoy it completely but, at the same time, being a part of the industry, she has also made peace with it in her own way. Her fans surely cannot wait to see what she does next in both professions.

• Shatrughan Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha got his first break in Bollywood in Dev Anand’s Prem Pujari. But the release of the film got delayed, and hence, his first film to hit the silver screens was Saajan. The audience got swooned by his charm and by the way he delivered his dialogues. His dialogue “Khamosh!” is still popular and is there for posterity. However, Sinha’s Khamoshi is just for Bollywood films. In Politics, he has been quite vocal about his thoughts.

Sinha is a member of the Indian National Congress Party. Earlier, he was a part of BJP, but later left the party, quoting that BJP is all about “tanashahi” and not “lokshahi.” There were several reasons for him to join the Congress as it is an old party which has had great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, and other notable leaders of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Sinha has been totally inactive in Bollywood since the time he forayed into politics. The actor is quite active on the microblogging site Twitter and is known to share his opinions on matters of national importance.

Even though Bollywood and Politics both being difficult careers, these actors-turned-politicians have managed to thrive in both and are still going strong. Being an actor comes with a great fan base. People give you an ample amount of love for your work as an actor, especially in the Indian Film Industry. These actors-turned-politicians have this extra advantage, which they very well know how to use for their benefit.

• Youth in Politics

Politics will always be a hot topic, but we always tend to think that it’s dirty and grey. We think that ‘all politicians are alike’. The youth of this country is extremely intelligent. They have a great vision of the development of society in every possible way. So let us think before we judge and stereotype every politician. Make a point to give the youngsters of this country the opportunities they deserve. Only then can one hope for change, and bring about the change. Many youngsters are opinionated when it comes to politics which wasn’t the scenario until a few years ago. Normalising people joining politics and choosing the right people can make this society a better place for all of us to live in.

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