Should stars enter politics?

Young professionals insist that most actors only make good campaigners, not good leaders

Film stars in the south, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, have found greater success in politics than their Bollywood counterparts, who are usually tapped only for their crowd gathering abilities. Riding on the support of their fan clubs, several stars in South India have successfully made a smooth transition from cinema to politics.u00a0u00a0

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra, who is BJP MP, recently made a statement that film stars should stay away from politics. He said an actor should always remain an actor and should not join politics as it divides audience.

So does that mean celebrities only make good campaigners and not good politicians? What does the aam janta have to say about this?
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Ravindra G Rao (39), a freelance journalist and content writer with one of the leading software companies, firmly believes that film stars are ill-equipped to become politicians. "They are specialists in their field and it is not wise to expect them to be successful leaders (not that politicians are successful leaders, though). They can, at the most, bring in an element of glamour into politics, but that does not mean they can deliver. It is best to let them concentrate on what they are good at. But there is one element of commonality people from both professions are in constant need of attention," he says.u00a0

Sreesha Kudoor (27), software professional, says, "People should realise that film stars can only entertain them and cannot provide good governance. It has become fashionable for political parties to rope in film stars for election campaigns. Some even contest the polls only on the strength of their star power. This kind of behaviour is a blot on the democratic set-up of our country."

But some feel that any celebrity can join politics provided he/ she has the desire to serve the people.u00a0

Suresh A (36), online procurement manager, AOL, says, "Actors-turned-politicians like MGR and NTR were successful because they spent quality time for the benefit of those who elected them. But, today's stars fail in politics as they try their luck simultaneously in both fields. Take for instance, Ambareesh, who was a very popular star. You can't call him a successful political leader though he has won parliamentary polls twice. The recent developments and trends indicate that chances for him winning the polls this time are bleak."

Quote hanger
"The commitment and the level of political awareness of the person are what that matter the most. Politics essentially means connecting with the common man and understanding his needs, problems and difficulties. A film star or any other celebrity for that matter must be practical and should know how to redress grievances.

Anybody can become good leaders or politicians if they have these qaulities. There are actors like MGR and Jayalalithaa who made it big in politics and even proved to be good leaders. But some people like Govinda end up failing because of their lack of political awareness. Many actors think of politics as a lucrative business and that's where they err."
Agni Sridharu00a0

"Stars sometimes disappoint their fans by entering politics. Many of them think their fans will vote for the party they support. Their charisma may draw curious crowds at rallies but that does not guarantee votes."
Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar