The enormous saffron surge has swept the nation, as the BJP-led NDA government looks set to become the only non-Congress government to return to power in Indian history. As congratulatory messages started pouring in from all across India, the film industry wasted no time in applauding the ruling party’s victory. Celebrities including Rajinikanth, Dharmendra, Ekta Kapoor, among others, congratulated the party for its landslide victory. The Robot star took to social media and tweeted, “Respected dear @narendramodi ji hearty congratulations... You made it!!! God bless.”
This election also saw the glitzy world of Hindi cinema emboss the political arenas across the country — from veteran actress Jayaprada to Bollywood baddie Prakash Raj. As Sunny Deol, who contested from Gurdaspur, raced ahead of his opponents, his father Dharmendra sent out congratulatory messages. “Faqeer Badshah Modi Ji, Dharti puttra Sunny Deol, Congratulations. Achhe Din Yaqeenan Ayen ge (Congratulations. Good days will definitely arrive)”. The veteran actor also congratulated his wife, actor Hema Malini who contested from Mathura on a BJP ticket. “Hema, Congratulations. We love Mother India; we have proved in Bikaner and Mathura. We will keep our (national flag) flying. Always,” he wrote referring to his own win from Bikaner in 2004. Hema, on her part, credited the Prime Minister for the party’s win. “What a clean sweep! The opposition & the Congress silenced totally! Modiji, after having suffered so many insults, many personal, stands totally vindicated as a true nationalist in whom the masses have reposed complete faith & view as a leader who can make India excels in all spheres,” the actor posted. Ajay Devgn wrote, “The country knows what is right for them and they have made their choice@narendramodi”
Speaking about the election results, noted filmmaker Hansal Mehta says, “It is a very clear mandate right now. It is a single party democracy and it feels like this whole exercise of going to the elections was only a means of confirming the people’s mandate of 2014. People’s mandate is very clear and they want continuity, stability. They have given this government a golden opportunity to actually make India a great country. It’s also a reflection of how strong this government is and also how terribly weak our opposition is. They are outdated and redundant.”
Coincidently, director Omung Kumar’s much-delayed biopic on the Prime Minister is set to release this week and the director is brimming with excitement as it has given a huge boost to the director. “It’s a fantastic win by Modi ji and he has shown his detractors and the world that he is not just popular but people love his style of governance. He has created magic today. Honestly, I feel that just like there was a mahaghatbandhan against him, similarly there was one against the film. The spectacular win today just shows what a leader he is. I believe people love him and will want to watch his journey. Very excited about the release tomorrow.”
But not everyone is overly excited at the mandate. Veteran actor MK Raina, one of the few vocal critics of the Modi government isn’t very elated at the turn of events. “In terms of witnessing growth in the field of art and culture, I don’t think there is going to be any positive change in the next five years. Just a few days’ ago, I got a call informing that the individual grants given to creative people have been discontinued. Even for a grant of one lakh, you have to wait for years and even then, it doesn’t turn up. And the maximum grant you get is five lakh,” he says. Introspecting on the massive failure of the opposition, he adds, “The nation’s opposition is segmented on caste; if they come together, the challenge will become much stronger. This election taught us that, if you are united you are strong or else, you are finished. All these parties that are powerful regionally, for them to come under one banner, is a dream in Indian democracy.
Prior to elections, Bollywood played a starring role in Modi’s campaign, endorsing his views in films and in reality, changing the course of the relationship politics had with films over the last few decades. Many Bollywood celebs including Vidya Balan, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, among others met the Prime Minister on more than one occasion. The primary aim of the meet was to discuss how the entertainment industry can work towards nation building. Well, the purpose is served.
With inputs from Uma Ramasubramanian and Nirtika Pandita
