I really bluddy wonder what makes an actor with oodles of money, fame, reputation (or noriety if you will have it that way) decide to get into politics.

Take the latest case of Sanjay Dutt.

Been hounded by hazaar weird anti-social fundas in his life, including drugs, possession of weapons of mass destruction, calls to some really “wanted” people of the underworld in India being recorded and make public and so on. And today, is on the threshold of an altar that promoses to take him into a new life (of seva or corruption, time will alone tell).

Most people I spoke to about this tell me, “he’s reformed”, or “he’s munnabhai” yaar, and “remember his gandhigiri thig?”. Yeah right. “HIS” gandhigiri thing. Sure, his “Munnabhai” was a success, but since when has an actor ever been identified by the role he plays ? Should not some villains then be in Jail for all the rapes, murders, etc that they’ve done in movies?

I remember the time, when just on an “anti-incumbency” mood, people ousted the veteran Ram Naik (note the adjective … “veteran” … got nothing to do with my take on good or bad) for a very absurd concept of Govinda representing them in parliament ?

I bet that other than those who made money off his campaign funds, no one’s happy there. What has the guy ever, ever done for his constituency other than say that he doesn’t have time for politics cuz his shoots are more important?

Its not that this happens only in India. The world over, movie-dom does seem to contribute a fair amount of “over the hill” assets to politics. But the, unline India, there are processes in place to measure accountability. Here ? None. Result ? Some weirdos who have become popular by din’t of being seen enough on celluloid screens, decide that they’re “ready” to serve the junta, and decide to jump into politics.

No getting down on the roads and cleaning gutters, or spending time with lepers like Baba Amte did, or something like that. They want to “serve” from office through “deputies”

Darn !

I’ll never, ever watch a movie again, I guess. Cuz when I watch a movie, I automatically add to the eyeballs that some idiot actor is getting. Who knows, my eyeball might be the deciding one that elects him to “power”.

Sanjeev