Dharmendra's political journey was short-lived: 'An actor should remain an actor'

New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) For decades, Dharmendra ruled the big screen but in 2004, the star famously swapped movie sets for political rallies and contested the Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bikaner, Rajasthan, and won too.

A native of Sahnewal near Ludhiana, Dharmendra's Punjabi charm struck a chord with voters in Rajasthan. His campaign drew large crowds and plenty of attention — both for his star power and his outspoken remarks.

While the BJP, led by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, faced a defeat in the elections, Dharmendra was successful in his electoral debut, defeating Congress candidate Rameshwar Lal Dudi by nearly 60,000 votes.

Once in Parliament, however, the glamour faded quickly.

His attendance was low, and questions were raised about his limited participation in debates.

In a 2008 interview with PTI, Dharmendra spoke about his disenchantment with politics when he shared a piece of advice for films stars.

"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. For me, the love and support I got all these years from my fans is the greatest achievement," Dharmendra said.

Asked about his low attendance in parliament, the veteran said he was trying to solve issues in his constituency.

"Who says that? I am always in touch with the problems of my constituency. From cleaning up Sur Sagar, a dumping ground in Bikaner, to minimising school fees for children, renovation of the theatre Rangmanch, and building bridges, I am trying to solve each and every problem.

"My office in Bikaner apprises me of the demands of the people on a regular basis. I am from a farmer's family so I understand their problems. And this is no politics. I am an emotional but a tough person, these criticisms can't break my intention. I never did anything to grab attention, either in acting or politics," the actor said in the interview.

His tenure ended in 2009 and he didn't contest from the seat again.

At a public event in Ludhiana in 2010, the actor expressed regrets over his political foray.

"I felt suffocated in politics. I was dragged emotionally 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. The amount of work which I have done for the people of my constituency, Bikaner, nobody has done till date," he said.

Years later, Dharmendra's wife, actor Hema Malini, contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mathura on a BJP ticket. She had earlier served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2004 to 2009.

In an interview with News18 last year, Malini said Dharmendra was initially against her contesting elections.

"Dharamji didn't like it. He told me not to contest elections as it's a very difficult task... He said, 'I have experienced that.' So when he said that it's a difficult task, I thought let me take it as a challenge.

"When you are a film star working in politics, people have a lot of craze about you and want to approach you and you can imagine the craze people had about Dharamji. So it used to trouble him. I also face such problems," Malini said.

But like any father, Dharmendra came out to support his son, actor Sunny Deol, during the 2019 general elections. Sunny Deol joined the BJP shortly before the elections and was fielded from Punjab’s Gurdaspur constituency.

Addressing a rally in Gurdaspur, Dharmendra told the crowd that he had come “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 said.

Sunny went on to win the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat by over 82,000 votes, defeating Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. However, much like his father, he chose not to return to active politics after completing his term.

Dharmendra used to rarely voice his thoughts on social and national issues.

In 2020, during the farmers’ protest near Delhi, the actor 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, Dharmendra 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.” PTI RB BK BK