Will the stars of tinsel town shine brighter in these Lok Sabha polls? This is what history tells us

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are undoubtedly one of the most star-studded events in Kerala, a state that has largely defined itself between politics and cinema. While Suresh Gopi is the BJP’s star candidate in Thrissur, Kollam’s G Krishnakumar, who has always supported the BJP, is contesting against veteran actor and LDF’s M Mukesh.
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Despite their celebrity status, will their star power earn them a win like their counterparts in other states? Will Suresh Gopi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the second time, become the first BJP candidate to win a seat in Thrissur that has shown alliance with both the LDF and UDF over the years?
A study of Kerala’s brief history of stars from tinsel towns contesting the elections will give you enough reason to believe that the state is not easily wooed by star power, despite being a state that has shown a lot of loyalty to cinema.

While celebrities from Tamil Nadu had tasted success as early as the 1950s when MG Ramachandran, popularly known by his nickname MGR, came to power, the scenario in Kerala is different. It is true that legends like filmmaker Ramu Kariat had won a seat for the LDF in the 1964 assembly elections from Nattika in Thrissur; it was a mere shadow of what politicians achieved in Tamil Nadu. Despite a slew of other political entries from tinsel town, the real star moment for Kerala came in 2014 when late actor-turned-politician Innocent won the Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate from the LDF.

However, Innocent’s lucky try with politics was short-lived and the much-loved actor failed to create a spark among voters when he re-entered the LDF ticket in 2019 and lost to Congress politician Benny Behanan. His easy-going and warm image may have initially wooed voters, but later voters likely saw him as just a political candidate.
Before that, Prem Nazir also made an important entry into politics, although he never contested the elections in Kerala. The evergreen actor was in the final stages of his career when he was inducted into the Congress party in the 1980s. Though Indira Gandhi had then personally urged the evergreen actor to contest the elections as a party candidate, he declined.

Later, he agreed to become the party’s star campaigner after a slew of talks after which he started campaigning for the political party in Thiruvananthapuram. Interestingly, as a young adult, Prem Nazir had dreamed of launching his own political party, but decided against it when he realized it was not his thing. Nevertheless, he was ruthless in his campaigns, even going so far as to seek votes for the party in 42 locations in one day!
Mukesh, who is best known for playing relatable and hilarious roles in Malayalam cinema, is a two-time MLA but whether it will be enough to win a seat in the Lok Sabha polls will be decided only when Kerala goes to the polls on April 26.
Director and actor Rajasenan, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Devan, Jagadheesh and Bheeman Raghu were all film stars who ventured into politics but failed to make an impact in several elections. Prolific actor Murali also contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1999 after being picked by former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan to contest the elections from Alappuzha. Though the actor was initially hesitant, he later relented after much persuasion from screenwriter Cherian Kalpakavaadi. Though Murali had a huge fan following due to his on-screen persona and acting talent, the actor didn’t stand a chance against Congress candidate and then MP VM Sudheeran.
While times have changed and more and more celebrities are joining the political fray, it remains to be seen whether star power will shape the elections this Lok Sabha elections.