Actresses who joined politics after successful film career: Kangana Ranaut to Arshi Khan

Bollywood Actress in Politics:  Swerving from the world of entertainment to the realm of public service, Bollywood actresses have displayed leadership skills in diverse walks of life. Recently, Kangana Ranuat’s election nomination from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh brought attention to the many roles these artists are willing to take up, hone, and deliver.   

Kangana Ranaut 

On Monday, the news of Kangana Ranaut’s nomination for the Lok Sabha Election 2024 polarised the citizens. Kangana has been given a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party to contest the election from her hometown, Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Since the announcement, the news has triggered controversies as well.   

Isha Kopikar 

Known for her work in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi, Isha Kopikar took on the part of ‘serving the nation’ in January 2019. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as the working president of BJP’s women's transport wing in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.  

Nusrat Jahan

The Bengali beauty with a purpose, Nusrat Jahan is popular for her work in Kollywood majorly. In March 2019, the opportunity of electing the general elections of 2019 knocked on her door, and clinched to it Jahan contested the election from  Basirhat Lok Sabha Constituency and emerged victorious. 

Smriti Irani 

Probably the most popular actress in the Indian political avenues, Smriti Irani has been the Minister of Women and Child Development since 2019. Additionally, she has been the Minister of Minority Affairs since 2022. Her political career started in 2003 with the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

Gul Panag 

Miss India Universe 1999, Gul Panag believes that one needs to have a spine to be in politics. She has actively participated in causes like gender equality and education. Her interest in social activism joined politics as an Aam Aadmi Party Candidate in the general elections in 2014. 

Urmila Matondkar 

A woman who ruled over her fans’ hearts could not do the same in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, where she contested as an Indian National Congress candidate. She quit the party in 2019 over ‘petty internal politics’ and later became a part of Shiv Sena in December 2022.   

Arshi Khan 

Bigg Boss 11 participant, Arshi Khan was a member of the Indian National Congress in February 2019 and later quit it due to the lack of time to pursue politics amidst her entertainment career in August 2019. 

Indian political scenes are ever-evolving and the diverse representation in it is surely a beacon of inclusivity and progress.