Indian film stars’ political ambitions can dim box office allure, experts warn

The latest to face this conundrum are top southern movie stars Vijay, who launched a political party in February to contest next year’s Tamil Nadu assembly polls, and Pawan Kalyan, who is serving as deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Their films are slated for release in the coming months, but trade experts warn of muted box-office performance, as they may no longer enjoy the universal appeal that transcended political ideologies.

The past record of multiple actors-turned-politicians shows that a broad section of audiences begins to feel alienated, as film stars start catering to a target vote bank following their political plunge, experts said.

Also read: Independent producers embrace regional cinema amid Bollywood uncertainties

“The theatrical draw of actors starts to wane once they get into politics as the persona is often diluted. When you’re just a star, everyone is your market and audience, whereas a political name is often seen aligned with certain values and segments. A film star cuts across caste and creed whereas a politician has to appease their vote bank,” independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. While a cinematic superhero image can help actors get into politics, the two domains are hardly complimentary, Chauhan added.

Vijay’s next film Jana Nayagan is set for a Pongal 2026 release even as his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam makes its electoral debut in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, while Pawan Kalyan has titles like Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 and OG slated to arrive in theatres over the coming months.

Actor Kamal Haasan, who has formed Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), a regional political party in Tamil Nadu, has seen recent titles like Indian 2 and Thug Life, which were also panned by critics, underperform at the box office, while up north, Kangana Ranaut, Lok Sabha member from the ruling BJP, has featured in titles such as Emergency, Tejas and Dhaakad that failed to draw crowds. Haasan is set to enter Rajya Sabha, backed by the DMK.

To be sure, over the years, several actors including Andhra’s NT Rama Rao, Tamil Nadu’s MG Ramachandran, Chiranjeevi, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and others entered politics. Many of these made a foray later in their careers after having stopped actively taking up lead roles, some others such as Ranaut and Govinda have tried balancing the two jobs, without much success.

“Once actors turn politicians, their box office pull goes down. It gets even worse if they lose elections, but they certainly can’t start from where they left,” said Ruban Mathivanan of GK Cinemas in Chennai. Mathivanan added that other than just losing traction among audiences, actors-turned-political leaders often face hostility and bans in case the opposition parties come into power.

Also read: Malayalam cinema thrives at box office as other regional films falter

For instance, Tamil actor Vadivelu is said have faced an unofficial ban and dropped from several films after campaigning against then chief minister Jayalalithaa.

Filmmakers and trade experts have long worried that when actors formally enter politics, especially by taking aggressive political stands, they risk alienating audiences with differing views, which can erode box office collections. In 2018, Rajinikanth’s action drama Kaala had registered lacklustre opening collections after the actor caused a stir by describing anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi as “anti-social elements”.

More recently, Thug Life did not release in Karnataka after Haasan’s comments on the Kannada language drew backlash.

Also read: The rise of small-town stories on OTT: A cost-effective, culturally rich trend

A film producer said on the condition of anonymity that actors should realize they are seen as brands that all stakeholders in the value chain depend on. “Apart from box office revenue, controversies and political entries can also result in OTT platforms turning wary of films featuring stars who could alienate audiences,” the producer said.