It's going to be a star-studded LS

Innocent and Paresh Rawal, who are now new MPs, may be from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, but the two actors have a common thread. 

Rawal, a BJP parliamentarian from the Ahmedabad East seat in Gujarat, enacted a number of roles in Hindi films that were first immortalised in Malayalam films by Innocent, a Left-backed MP from Chalakuddy in Kerala.

Rawal, a favourite of Malayalam director Priyadarshan, had given life to at least five characters Innocent portrayed in blockbuster films, when they were remade in Hindi in the 2000s.

Innocent's role in 1993’s “Manichitrathazhu”, was enacted by Rawal in the Hindi remake “Bhool Bhulaiya” to peels of laughter in theatres. Rawal also essayed Innocent's roles in “Hera Pheri”, “Mera Baap, Pehle Aap”, “Bhagam Bhaag”, “Chupke Chupke” and “Hulchul”.

The Malayalam actor, who recently fought a battle against cancer, defeated senior Congress MP P C Chacko by over 14,000 votes; while Rawal, a candidate hand-picked by Narendra Modi himself, won by a margin of over 2.5 lakh.

Innocent and Rawal are not the only ones artiste-turned-MPs. West Bengal, too, is sending a number of actors and singers to Parliament this time.

Tollywood superstar Deepak Adhikari aka Dev, Moon Moon Sen, Shatabdi Roy, Sandhya Roy and Tapash Paul – all Trinamool Congress candidates – and singer Babul Supriyo of the BJP, found places in Parliament from West Bengal.

TMC candidate in South Delhi Biswajeet Chatterjee, however, lost miserably managing to garner only 846 votes.

BJP’s Shatrughan Sinha was another prominent actor to win from Bihar’s Patna Saheb constituency, while director Prakash Jha lost again.