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Television stars much in demand

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI NOV. 27. Ask any party or contesting candidate how much they have spent on film stars for putting in an appearance in their election campaign, and the common refrain is: "He or she is a family friend and is doing it for a cause.'' Of course, ideology or party affiliations hardly matter here and the basic idea is to draw people out of their homes, hoping that the glamour will translate into votes.

Yes, star power is on full display in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls and making hay are the television serial actors. The Bharatiya Janata Party has "invested'' heavily on the stars and from day one they have put in an appearance with the BJP candidates for either filing nomination forms or going around seeking votes. Thanks to the success of the mega-serials on the idiot box, television stars are much in demand.

On the other hand, the Congress is depending on in-house stars to draw crowds or seek votes for the party. Interestingly, yesteryears superstar Rajesh Khanna seems to be in great demand in Delhi. He is aided by another star-turned-politician, Sunil Dutt, who has otherwise been campaigning for social and national harmony.

"Star power comes with a price tag. The payment for a top star for a single appearance ranges from Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 8 lakhs. For television artists, this price tag depends on the popularity of the serial as well as the star and is anywhere between Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 3 lakhs. To avoid post-election payment problems, the stars are asking for the entire money in advance for putting in an appearance,'' remarked an agent who is instrumental in organising stars for the BJP. Apart from the advance payment, the stars demand air tickets and also a five star accommodation along with a luxury car if made to stay overnight.

However, the BJP candidate from Kamla Nagar, Surya Prakash, takes the cake. An influential builder with resources, he has been able to rope in the actor-cum-director, Satish Kaushik, film star, Deepti Bhatnagar, and even the charming Aman Verma of the popular game show "Khull Ja Sim Sim''. The latest to join his poll bandwagon is the character artist and TV star, Divya Dutta and television star-turned-film actress, Shweta Kesvani of ``Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'' fame.

Among the important Bollywood stars who have put in an appearance is the charming Amisha Patel, star of "Kaho Na Pyar Hai'' fame. She went around the Saket Assembly constituency seeking votes for the BJP candidate, Vijay Jolly. Interestingly, initially Ms. Patel forgot the name of the candidate she was canvassing for, but claimed he was a "family friend''. Sudha Shivpuri "Baa'' , the good old grandmother from "Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi'' has also campaigned for the party. Then there are the yesteryears stars and today's screen moms, Zeenat Aman, Rati Agnihotri, and, of course, the dream girl Hema Malini. Another current Bollywood heroine, Mahima Chaudhary, is also likely to put in an appearance for the BJP.

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