The political side of Vinod Khanna

Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha

Veteran Bollywood actor and Member of Parliament Vinod Khanna was born on October 6. After a very successful career in Bollywood, Khanna started his political career.

Here are some moments of the late actor-turned-politician.

Vinod Khanna (R) and his wife Kavita speak to media at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on March 26, 2014. Pic/AFP

Khanna was BJP MP from Gurdaspur in Punjab.

In 1982, he took a break from work to join his guru Osho Rajneesh at his ashram.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Gurdaspur and Indian film actor Vinod Khanna (C), along with his wife Kavita (R)daughter Shraddha (L), gestures to his supporters after filing his election nomination papers in Gurdaspur on April 24, 2009. Pic/AFP

In 1997, Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab for the next year's Lok Sabha poll. In 1999, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency.

In July 2002, he became union minister for culture and tourism but after six months he was moved to the more important ministry of external affairs (MEA) as Minister of State.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Arun Jaitley (L) listens to Indian Tourism Minister Vinod Khanna (R) speaking during a BJP press conference in Ahmedabad, 10 December 2002 at their party headquarters. Pic/AFP

In 2004 he won re-election from Gurdaspur. However, Khanna lost out in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll. In 2014 general election he was again elected for 16th Loksabaha from Gurdaspur constituency.

Khanna breathed his last on April 27, 2017 at 11.20 am due to prolonged illness.