Delhi to host first Bhojpuri film festival

New Delhi: In an apparent move to woo the dominant Poorvanchali voters in the national capital in the forthcoming civic elections, the Delhi BJP has succeeded in getting the Centre’s nod to host the first three-day mega “Bhojpuri film festival” in February. The festival, ideated by Bhojpuri actor-turned politician Manoj Tiwari, is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 3.

The Union information and broadcast ministry has given its nod to host the Bhojpuri film festival where nine regional language films will be screened.

Talking about the festival, Mr Tiwari, who is also Delhi BJP president, told this newspaper that he was running from pillar to post for the past one year to convince the government to host the Bhojpuri film festival. He said that with the support of the PM, it is finally being held in the national capital. “Being a Lok Sabha MP from Varanasi, our Prime Minister has done justice to the people of the Poorvanchal belt,” he said. Notably, Varanasi is said to be the capital of the Bhojpuri speaking region.

The festival will premiere nine movies, including the first Bhojpuri film, Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo (1962) along with Sasura Bada Paise Wala starring Mr Tiwari, Kab Hoi Gawana Hamar starring Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan, Bidesiya and others.

All the noted denizens of the Bhojpuri film industry are expected to attend the three-day festival. According to Mr Tiwari, Bhojpuri super stars Kunal, Ravi Kishan, Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua,’ and Monalisa are likely to attend the festival.

The move to hold the Bhojpuri film festival assumes significance in wake of the increasing migrant population in Delhi that holds the key to any electoral success in the national capital. Poorvanchalis, comprising people from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, constitute nearly 50 lakh or 35 per cent of the vote share in the city.

It is in order to win back the dominant Poorvanchali voters in the city that BJP has, for the first time, chosen a leader from Poorvanchal to head its Delhi unit.

Mr Tiwari, holding the charge of Delhi BJP, is also a departure from the party’s decade-old dependence on the Punjabi-Baniya lobby in the city. Traditionally, Delhi BJP has been led by Punjabi leaders like Kedar Nath Sawhney, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, and Madan Lal Khurana as Punjabis and Sikhs constitute nearly 30 per cent of Delhi’s vote bank.

Former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma too was seen as a leader of the Jat community and the migrants struggled to find their representation in the state politics. This was followed by the rise of the Baniya lobby in Delhi BJP which saw leaders like Vijay Goel, Dr Harsh Vardhan, and Vijender Gupta. All these leaders went on to become Delhi BJP presidents, while the saffron party also projected Dr Vardhan as its chief ministerial candidate in the 2013 Assembly polls. Mr Goel and Dr Vardhan are currently ministers in the Modi government.

Mr Tiwari, who hails from Bihar and is currently the Lok Sabha member from Northeast Delhi, is assigned to consolidate the migrant voters as well as to mitigate the anti-incumbency that BJP has been facing in the municipal corporations for two consecutive terms.

In Mr Tiwari’s words, the film festival will connect with a large chunk of migrants from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and, Eastern Uttar Pradesh. “At the same time, it will help the Bhojpuri film industry to break new grounds,” he added.