KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — India’s parliamentary elections is rapidly becoming a star-studded affair with many leading and veteran stars throwing their hats in the ring.
Here are some big names joining the fray:
Kangana Ranaut
Leading Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut is making her election debut at the Mandi constituency in her home state Himachal Pradesh.
The four-time National Film Awards winner is contesting in the polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
Ranaut, 37, has postponed the release of her upcoming film Emergency, in which she portrays the role of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, several times citing her political commitments.
Pawan Kalyan
Pawan Kalyan, hailed as the “Power Star” of the Telugu film industry, will be contesting for Pithapuram seat in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Kalyan, 55 started his political career in 2006 as the youth chief of the Praja Rajyam party that was founded by his brother and Telugu cinema legend Chiranjeevi.
Following the party's dissolution in 2011, Kalyan formed his Jana Sena Party in 2014 but failed to secure any parliamentary seats in the 2019 elections.
Radhika Sarathkumar
Down south in Tamil Nadu, veteran Tamil actress Radikaa Sarathkumar is facing a four-cornered fight for the Virudhunagar constituency.
The 61-year-old actress is contesting on a BJP ticket after her husband and veteran actor Sarathkumar merged his All Indian Samathuva Makkal Katchi party with the BJP in March.
She is also set to lock horns with the late Tamil actor Vijayakanth's son, Vijaya Prabhakaran for the seat.
Hema Malini
Hema Malini, once dubbed the “Dream Girl” of Bollywood, is seeking a third term as a member of parliament in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on a BJP ticket.
Malini has retained the seat for two consecutive terms since she first wrested it in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Malini, 75, is the wife of veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra Deol, who served as the MP for Bikaner in Rajasthan between 2004 and 2009.
Shatrughan Sinha
Veteran Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha is contesting for the Asansol seat in West Bengal on a All India Trinamool Congress party’s ticket.
Sinha, 77, is a three-time MP and the father of leading Bollywood actress, Sonakshi Sinha.
