Film stars are playing a major role in the elections this year. As star campaigners, they are seeking support and votes for various political parties.

It started with Amitabh Bachchan’s “UP mein hain dum, kyunki jurm yahan hain kum” commercial for the Samajwadi Party. Soon after, other film stars plunged into the political arena.

Hema Malini, Celina Jaitley, Zeenat Aman and small screen actor Smriti Iraani were in the state capital to promote the political parties they represent or to demolish the Bachchan campaign. Many, however, ended up being ridiculed for their lack of experience in politics.

At a recent public meeting, Zeenat Aman surprised many when she praised Rashtriya Parivartana Dal President D P Yadav. Yadav, a contestant from the Sahswan in Badaun district, has been in the spotlight for his criminal past. The film star also appealed to the public to vote for Yadav’s wife Urmilesh, a contestant for the Bisauli seat. His son, Vikas, is the main accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. Last Tuesday, when Zeenat Aman was in Lucknow to campaign for the Congress, she explained why she had praised him. “Irrespective of party lines, Yadav is a personal friend. That is why I was campaigning for him,” she said, adding that she had always campaigned for the Congress.

BJP MP Hema Malini, who has done several films with Amitabh Bachchan, countered the SP advertisement featuring the actor, saying: “Pani hain kum, bijli hain kum, toh kahan hain dum.” Another BJP campaigner Smriti Iraani asked how Bachchan could claim that the crime rate in the state was low when the Nithari incident had taken place here.

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