Film stars in South have successfully used their popularity to come to power in politics in the past. MG Ramachandran in Tamil Nadu and NT Rama Rao in Andhra Pradesh remain the classic examples, who turned chief ministers of their states and inspired many celebrities to take the plunge into politics. However, the trend slowly started vanishing over the years as their popularity did not convert into votes.
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi too failed to make it big when he floated his new party Prajya Rajyam Party in 2008 and finally merged it with Congress. Just when people thought that the days of stars making political a mpact are over, there emerged a bunch of biggies from South Indian film industries who are keen to make a difference in politics.
Chiranjeevi's younger sibling Pawan Kalyan took a different route by launching his own party Jana Sena, which did not contest any election, but supported the NDA and TDP government in the last assembly-Lok Sabha election. The Power Star of Telugu film industry has now expressed a desire to contest next elections and is unlikely to enter into any pre-poll elections.
Last weekend, it was Kannada superstar Upendra's turn to foray into politics. The Real Star has coined the word 'Prajakiya,' an idea that promotes common man as the king in democracy. He is neither joining the BJP or any other party and will contest the elections independently.
Surprisingly, Upendra is set for an unconventional politics where he is not heading towards organising massive rallies or campaigns to attract the people's attention. Uppi just wants people to come out with fresh ideas to replace the existing system. However, the actor has not detailed his exact plans and has said that he just wants to serve the people.
In Tamil Nadu, where cinema and politics go hand-in-hand, Rajinikanth is set to join politics. He has given serious hints of taking the plunge in the last few months and political pundits expect him to formally announce his plans by the end of this year.
The Tamil superstar's political dreams apparently took birth following the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and the bad state of political affairs in the state. Also, his peer Kamal Haasan has become politically active over the months and there are also chances of him entering politics.
With stars from Tamil, Kannada and Telugu film industries deciding to make a difference, the next election will be a battle between established ideas and the star power. Who will have the last laugh? Only time will tell.
