MOLLYWOOD GOES TO THE POLLS

Film stars are shining bright in Kerala's political firmament. The BJP is relying on one to make its LS wish come true

- Jeemon Jacob

Unlike other states in the south, Kerala has never really taken to screen icons playing political leaders in real life. Mollywood stars have made the occasional foray, but they have mostly been short-lived ently transport minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government.

Ganesh, 57, has been representing the Pathanapuram assembly constituency in Kollam district in south Kerala since 2001, but then he has some political legacy on his side. The part-time actor cum TV anchor is chairperson of the Kerala Congress (Balakrishna Pillai) faction, named after his late father, a revered leader in the region.

Among the few successful sojourns has been the one by yesteryear hero Mukesh who won the Kollam assembly seat in the south in 2016 and 2021. Now the actor has been fielded by the Marxists in the Kollam Lok Sabha seat against sitting MP and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) candidate N.K. Premachandran, and the BJP candidate, small screen actor Krishna Kumar. The latter is also the father of a popular Gen Z actor, Ahaana Krishna, so the locals are quite kicked about the star brigade descending on the constituency to canvass for votes.