Reel to Real: Seven Kannada actors who found success in politics

Movie stars might be their own league in Karnataka but the political scene here has often served as a humbling ground for even the biggest of them. The "Reel to Real" distinction is apparent no more than here as even the likes of Ananth Nag, Dwarakish, and others have failed in the past to leverage their on-screen charm into real-life wins. However, a select few have proven with their own might that it indeed is possible for an actor to make the transition and be relevant in the political milieu.

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The Mandyada Gandu, or the "Macho of Mandya", justified the title not once but thrice over as he remained the darling of his home constituency Mandya in the capacity of an M.P. Ambareesh first tasted success in 1998 and remained a member of parliament till 2009, with the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting portfolio held between 2006 and 2008. Ambareesh, known for his magnanimity, remains one of the most successful politicians from Karnataka.

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The very vibrant career of B.C. Patil has seen him be a real-life cop, a film star, and a super successful politician, with only a few or no blips along the way. B.C. Patil, who had to forego his cop uniform to continue his acting career, secured a win from his home constituency of Hirekerur in his maiden political attempt and is now a three-time MLA, serving currently as Karnataka's Minister of State for Agriculture.

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Treading the same path as her husband, Sumalatha Ambareesh too found a successful entry into the political arena by winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (Mandya constituency) against fellow actor Nikhil Kumaraswamy. By virtue of the victory, Sumalatha became the first Independent women candidate to taste success in Karnataka, thus adding a new feather to her already-vibrant cap. Their son, Abishek Ambareesh, too has hinted at his political aspirations

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The very talented Umashree proved her worth in the political arena as well by winning the 2013 state elections. The victory from the Terdal constituency meant that she was given the "women and child development" portfolio which she held for the entire term, thus empowering many along the way. Aside from these achievements, Umashree also has National Award to her name, which she won in 2008 for Girish Kasaravalli's 'Gulabi Talkies'.

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Many would recall Kumar Bangarappa as one of the brightest action stars of the '80s and '90s but the son of former Karnataka C.M. shined more in the political limelight. Despite being a popular actor, Kumar Bangarappa made an abrupt, yet calculated, move to enter politics in 1996 and found immediate success in the by-elections. Kumar Bangarappa became the youngest member of the legislature with the thumping win and went on to become a three-time MLA while with the Indian National Congress, until he faced his first defeat in 2008. He later bounced back in 2019 to defeat his own brother Madhu Bangarappa, albeit with a different party.

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Known as the heartthrob of the '90s, Shashikumar was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from the Chitradurga constituency in the year 1999. The following decade saw Shashikumar change multiple parties but remain politically relevant, proving his worth almost every single time. A career in politics meant that he had to renounce his acting career and has acted in very few films since then.

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The Navarasa Nayaka has had quite an interesting political career wherein he was forced to change bases very early on, despite a bonafide win. Jaggesh renounced his position as the Turuvekere M.L.A in 2009 to join the Bharatiya Janata Party wherein he served as a Member of the Legislative Council and later as the vice-chairman of K.S.R.T.C. He remains politically active to date.

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