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Joined For BJP's 'India Shining', Quit Due To 'Emotional Toll': Dharmendra's Short-Lived Political Career
Joined For BJP's 'India Shining', Quit Due To 'Emotional Toll': Dharmendra's Short-Lived Political Career
An enduring icon of Indian cinema, who defined six decades of Hindi film history, veteran actor Dharmendra's foray into politics was short-lived yet memorable.
Dharmendra, who died at 89 on Monday, tasted immediate electoral success much like his wife Hema Malini and eldest son Sunny Deol – who won Lok Sabha elections from Mathura and Gurdaspur years later – but did not last long enough in politics to carve out a path for himself.
In a 2008 interview with PTI, he had said as advice to fellow film personalities: “I won't say that coming into politics was a mistake but, yes, an actor should not come into politics as it divides the audience and general acceptance among fans. An actor should always remain an actor."
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Inspired by the BJP's “India Shining" campaign, Dharmendra – the beloved legend of films like Sholay (1975) and Satyakam (1969) entered the political arena in 2004. His entry into the BJP followed meetings with prominent leaders, including LK Advani and Shatrughan Sinha.
He successfully contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, securing Rajasthan's Bikaner, even though the BJP, then led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, faced a massive electoral defeat. Drawing on his star power and Punjabi charm, he struck a chord with the voters and defeated the Congress candidate, Rameshwar Lal Dudi, by at least 60,000 votes. His massive popularity and outspoken attitude were key factors in his victory, which secured him a seat as an MP in the 14th Lok Sabha.
But, Dharmendra – a star in his own right – could not keep up with the glamour of political life that quickly faded for him.
He completed his five-year term in 2009 but never contested an election again. This was also partly due to the severe criticism he faced over being an “absentee" MP, which is a term that plagues most film personalities who become politicians.
The actor was accused of limited public engagement and minimal attendance in Parliament, with reports suggesting he often preferred shooting films or staying at his farmhouse. Despite the criticism, however, many of his supporters insisted that he worked sincerely behind the scenes on constituency issues.
He, too, defended his efforts, stating that his office kept him apprised of constituents' demands. His swift departure from active politics mainly stemmed from deep disillusionment with the political process and a feeling that such an environment was unsuitable for him.
Actor Sunny Deol later shared that his father regretted entering politics and described the experience as emotionally draining for him and unsuited to his temperament. In fact, Dharmendra once lamented the inner workings of the system and lack of credit for his efforts.
“Kaam main karta tha, credit koi aur le jaata tha (I used to do all the work, but the credit would go to someone else)… Perhaps that place wasn't for me," Dharmendra had said.
His strongest statements also revealed the emotional toll politics had taken on him. At a public event in Ludhiana in 2010, he had expressed profound regret.
“I felt suffocated in politics. I was emotionally dragged into the field…the day I agreed, I went to the washroom and banged my head into the mirror regretting what I had done. Politics is something I never wanted to do," he had said.
Even after the actor stepped away, the family maintained its political presence.
His wife, Hema Malini, became a three-time MP from Mathura and had previously served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2004 to 2009. She noted that he was initially against her contesting, telling her not to because he found it a “very difficult task" based on his experience.
Despite his own unhappiness with politics, Dharmendra supported Sunny Deol in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when he joined the BJP and contested from Punjab's Gurdaspur. He even addressed a rally there for him, stressing that he was not a politician and was only there to “speak from the heart, not to give speeches".
“I do not give speeches, I just talk to people. What is in a speech? I am not a politician," he had said.
Sunny went on to win the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat by over 82,000 votes, defeating Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. But, much like his father, he chose not to return to active politics after completing his term.
Though he would rarely voice his thoughts on national and social issues, Dharmendra stood up for the agricultural community during the 2020 farmer protests.
He had appealed to the central government to “quickly find a solution" to the farmers' problems. “I request the government… please quickly find a solution to the farmers' problems… the number of corona cases are on a rise in Delhi… it is painful," he had posted on X.
However, he later deleted the post, which led to criticism from many social media users. When one user suggested he deleted the post as he must have felt helpless, he replied: “I felt sad by remarks like these, and hence deleted my tweet. You can abuse me to your heart's content, I am happy that you are happy. I am sad for my farmer brothers. The government should find a solution fast, nobody is listening to us."
(With agency inputs)
Source: News18
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