Does money make stars dance to political tunes?

NEW DELHI: It is money that makes them dance around trees. Now the suspicion is that it''s the same that is making them dance to political tunes.
Allegations that Bollywood and television stars may be climbing the political dais for money, and not for purely ideological reasons, has taken the glitter off their glam-fam image.
The allegation, that it is the jingle of the cash registers that has made them sway to slogans, has been refuted by some of the cine stars who recently entered politics, prompting a Rs 1-crore defamation suit.
Opposing these allegations, actress Celina Jaitley, who recently joined Congress, said, "I do not know about others but I have stepped into the political arena because I have always felt that I can make a difference."
Political managers, however, concede that money has always been a factor with the actors joining the political parties as well as those who turn up for campaign duty for individual candidates.
"We were approached on behalf of two of those who recently joined the Congress," asserted a BJP supporter who has often liaised between the party and Bollywood.
He would, of course, not agree that any of BJP''s recruits joined the party for a fee.
The suspicion about money being the driver for the tinsel world is particularly strong in the case of those who make guest appearances at election meetings for individual candidates.
They justify their appeal by claiming old association. The alibi has often been exposed as hollow. In one famous incident, for instance, during the December polls in Delhi, a film star confidently introduced a candidate as her old friend.
She proceeded to make a strong appeal to the audience to vote for her friend, contesting from a constituency in South Delhi. The only problem in the script was that the name came wrong.
Film producer Anil Nagrath was rather candid about the issue.
"People in our country are already disillusioned with politicians. This (to get filmstars into politics) is yet another trick to cheat the people. If stars say it''s not for money, then it''s absolutely rubbish. The game of politics is based on money," he said.
Action hero Sunil Shetty admitted in Mumbai on Wednesday that celebrities were offered money to appear for inaugurations and even political functions.
"Celebrities are often offered monetary benefits to make appearances for inaugurations, public events and perhaps even for campaigning.