Stars get 'foot in mouth'

Politicians are superb actors. But the converse isn't necessarily true from the evidence of this election with the actors-turned-contestants blurting out senseless comments at rallies.

Politicians are superb actors, this bit we know. But the converse isn't necessarily true from the evidence of this election.

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Take Indira Mukherjee, a.k.a. Mousumi Chatterjee, former Bollywood leading lady and current Congress candidate from Kolkata North-East. At a Muslim-dominated locality in her constituency she told her audience: "Most of you have not been able to complete school like me. If you elect me I will ensure schooling for everyone."

Once she leaves the venue in her Toyota Qualis, an aide gently tells her that she may have offended the Muslims: they dropped out because of poverty; she, to join films. Mousumi will have none of that: "This is how one connects with people — find something in common and speak about it," she says.

She's been accused of being a political novice, so at another meeting she attempts a rebuttal. "I have a long association with politics. I went to Parliament as a child with my aunt and enjoyed the debates," she tells a group of educated, middle-class Bengalis at Manicktala's Gobinda Das Lane. They start sniggering. "If that's called political experience, we should call ourselves seasoned politicians," laughs Pradip Ghoshal, a small-time Congressman.

Away in south Delhi, Congress candidate RK Anand didn't know where to look when campaigner Shakti Kapoor twisted a line from Sholay (a film he thankfully was not in) to attack the BJP's VK Malhotra: "Malhotra ki shakal itni daravni hai ki jab baccho ko neend nahi aati to maa kehti hai so jao nahi to Malhotra aa jayega".

(With inputs from HTCs Mumbai/Delhi)