Several B-Town celebs have sworn their allegiance to a better society. However, not all of them practise what they preach. A look at 6 instances where stars went back on their word
Salman Khan, Govinda and Aamir Khan, Gul Panag, Hema Malini
Bollywood actors and actresses are known to influence the masses and given the pull they exert on cinemagoers, it is little wonder that they take their public image seriously. Many of them have been openly supportive of public causes; several have gone out of their way to spread awareness about social evils.
But do they practise what they preach? Many leading names have gone off the track they advocated in the first place. We point out instances where celebs seem to have reneged on their stand…
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Aamir Khan
What he said: In his TV show Satyamev Jayate, Aamir is vocal about his opposition to social evils — be it rape, water scarcity or safety of senior citizens. In fact, he dedicated one whole episode to problems faced by senior citizens; here he dwelt on their exploitation not just by outsiders but also by their family members.
What he did: In stark contrast to his image is the recent news about how he has apparently been forcing senior citizen residents in his society to sell him their apartments. These residents have now alleged that the society’s managing committee has been favouring the actor. They have allegedly stated that the actor is not a developer and does not have the right to force them out of the building.
Salman Khan
What he said: At first, he said that he is not interested in politics and he doesn’t like his film Jai Ho being linked to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) fight against corruption. He the announced that he would vote for two Congress candidates. “In my constituency (Bandra), it’s Baba Siddiqui and Priya Dutt,” he said.
What he did: On a tour to promote his film Jai Ho in Gujarat during Makar Sankranti, he praised Modi. He went on to say, “Modi saab should be able to fulfill his destiny. He is a great man; I have not seen this sort of development elsewhere and voters must decide who is most suitable. So if you think Modi saab is best for you, vote for him.” He added that Modi doesn’t need to apologise for the Godhra riots since the court has already pronounced him not guilty.
Govinda
What he said: During his tenure as Member of Parliament, the actor, representing Congress, had promised to improve railway transport in Mumbai, particularly the Western Railway stretch from Borivali to Virar. The ‘Virar ka chokra’ then proclaimed that he had worked tirelessly to increase the frequency of trains. After the July 26 flooding in Mumbai, he even announced that his efforts had helped the city get a Rs 150 crore relief fund from the central government.
What he did: Govinda’s claims were negated by fellow party members. In fact, they said that he did not attend many sessions and didn’t do much to contribute towards his constituency’s welfare.
Hema Malini
What she said: In the light of an increasing number of rape cases last year, Hema Malini was asked about safety of women in the country. At that time, the actress said, “Don’t take it so easy and go anywhere you want... anything can happen. You can get caught and nobody is going to come to protect you. Krishna had protected Draupadi, but we aren't so spiritually-evolved that God will come and protect us.”
What she did: After getting an election ticket from Mathura for a Lok Sabha seat, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate is now promising to wipe out corruption and focus on women’s safety.
Shatrughan Sinha
What he said: Although the actor has been with the BJP for nearly decade now, last year saw Sinha support rival party (Janata Dal United) politician Nitish Kumar as a Prime Ministerial candidate. “There is no doubt that Nitish Kumar is PM material. But this is the parties’, allies’ and the people’s decision. If they desire, Nitish can definitely become the PM. If he doesn’t, it’s doesn’t mean that Nitish Kumar is not capable,” he had said.
What he did: Now that he is contesting elections from Patna representing the BJP, he seems to have changed his stand. “Now onwards my aim, like Arjuna who focusses only on the eyes of the moving fish, is to make action hero (Narendra Modi) the Prime Minister of the country,”
he says.
Gul Panag
What she said: The actress had earlier shown her support for Narendra Modi on a social networking website. She had tweeted, “When it is between the fire & the frying pan — when you’ve been roasted long enough in the former — might as well try the latter?? No? #NaMo4PM. (sic)”
What she did: The actress has now joined AAP and is contesting opposite Kirron Kher in Chandigarh. Explaining her decision, Gul says, “That was when there was no AAP around. You look for no alternative and find the one-eyed in a land of the blind. It is not a choice. Narendra Modi for PM was something that came from resignation and a sense of fait accompli.”
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