Bhubaneswar: As Odisha is gearing up for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, several stars of the Odia film industry were seen changing parties for tickets. Four actors quit the ruling BJD to join the BJP in less than a fortnight. Popular actor and two-time BJD MP from Berhampur Siddhant Mohapatra joined the BJP. Immediately after joining the party, Mohapatra bagged a BJP ticket to fight from Digapahandi Assembly seat.
Similarly, actor Akash Dasnayak who left the BJD and joined the BJP, got the saffron party’s ticket for Korei Assembly seat. He was the MLA from Korei from 2014 to 2019. Likewise, two more actors Arindam Roy and Anubhav Mohanty also resigned from the BJD and joined the BJP. Sources said that they may be given MLA tickets soon. Actor Manoj Mishra, who recently joined the Congress, will fight from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat in his electoral debut. However, unlike film stars of the south who got success not only in the celluloid world but also in politics, their counterparts in Odisha don’t possess the same political acumen. In 2019 elections, Anubhav, Pinky Pradhan and Papu Pom Pom contested, but only the former could manage to win from Kendrapara. With the exception of Prashanta Nanda, no other actor has won Assembly or Lok Sabha polls on ticket from any other party except the BJD. Nanda won on a BJP ticket in 2000 and later on an NCP ticket in 2009. Actors Bijay Mohanty and Aparajita Mohanty contested Lok Sabha elections from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in 2014 on Congress tickets respectively and both lost. Aparajita contested again for BJP in 2019 and lost again. Only Anubhav, Akash and Siddhant have won elections on BJD tickets. The trio will now represent the BJP in 2024. Political analyst Sudarshan Chhotoray said, “In Odisha, sustaining in politics requires grassroots connection, obliging party leadership and following party discipline.
Merely having a large fan following or star value won’t help you in politics.” Over the last few years, film actors elected to Assembly and Parliament have failed to connect with their respective constituencies, he said. Only actor and director Prashanta Nanda could successfully transform himself into a seasoned politician, Chhotoray added. “Odisha is not south India where people idolise their matinee stars. In the south, actors such as NT Ramarao (NTR), MG Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalitha became Chief Ministers while the likes of Rajinikant, Kamal Haasan, Rajkumar, and Chiranjeevi enjoyed fan base bigger than any political figure.” “What we have seen in the state is that instead of taking up a political cause and sticking to an ideology, film stars keep their cards open and politicians use them in campaigns and take advantage of their star value,” he added. Filmmaker Swastik Choudhury said: “I personally do not subscribe to the idea of a star culture for it does more disservice than anything else especially in a fragile industry like ours. Quality and merit at times take a backseat.
Having said that, while comparing with south stars, we have to keep in mind the maturity and professionalism with which these industries operate. Do those who are labelled as icons or stars here carry the same dedication and commitment professionally as their southern counterparts? When someone shifts to a different party it’s more like switching a job for a better opportunity or position. In politics, I believe, one needs to have clarity over their ideologies and objectives.”
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP