Prakash Raj, a widely recognized actor, has gained nationwide fame. He's also a polyglot and a skilled speaker. However, his prime in the film industry seems to have passed, leading him to show increasing interest in politics.
He contested as an independent candidate in the 2019 elections from Bangalore Central but faced a resounding defeat, receiving the fewest number of votes cast in his favor. He personally described the outcome as a "stinging slap on my face."
Eventually, he participated in the MAA Elections two years ago, an event extensively covered by the Telugu media, where he faced defeat. While he possesses good speaking abilities, his intelligence as a speaker is questionable.
During the MAA election, he voiced support for approximately 200 out of the 900 MAA members, who were essentially his voters. He indicated that the remaining members might not even participate in the voting, considering their previous lack of engagement.
This provided an opportunity for his opponent to focus on the remaining members, ultimately securing victory for the presidential seat by defeating Prakash Raj.
Thus Prakash Raj became popular for his self goal.
Coming to the present politics, he has been with an anti-Modi stance, aligning his beliefs with those of atheists and anti-BJP Kannadigas, such as Gauri Lankesh.
He supports Rahul Gandhi, envisioning him as a potential future Prime Minister. This connection to a prime ministerial candidate fuels his hopes for recognition and honors, given his past accomplishments.
Should Rahul Gandhi assume the role of Prime Minister, Prakash Raj anticipates being awarded Padma Awards or a position in the Rajya Sabha, followed by the Dadasaheb Phalke Award as time progresses. What more could a successful actor like Prakash Raj desire?
In a similar vein of imagination and optimism, he shared a distasteful caricature of a former ISRO Chief on his Twitter account, drawing widespread criticism.
The actor said his earlier tweet was referring to an old joke from the era of Neil Armstrong, the American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969.
"Hate sees only Hate... i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times.. celebrating our Kerala Chaiwala.. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see?? .. if you don't get a joke then the joke is on you.. Grow up #justasking(sic)," Mr Raj posted.
It's evident that these actions are strategic moves to remain in the news spotlight. Prakash Raj's mention of "chaiwala" is a direct reference to Narendra Modi, requiring no further clarification.
Usha Chowdhary
