Ideally, there should be a clear-cut distinction between artists and their political experts. Celebrities’ larger than life image in India however, does not let this happen in our country. Bollywood stars have often maintained a pseudo-secular image in the country to make their fans happy. They are also guilty of living in their own bubble and being disconnected from the ground reality. The demands of their profession also push them to say and act in a certain manner as they are usually pinned to the wall. A Bollywood star who can maintain his/her stance in this day and age definitely needs to be praised, and that is why Shilpa Shetty Kundra deserves a special mention. Shilpa Shetty, apart from being a famed Bollywood actress, is also a yoga practitioner and businesswoman. Her best quality is that she’s unafraid of voicing her opinions in public. She has praised the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi countless times in the past, and most recently did the same for supporting the fitness challenge initiated by BJP MP and Youth Affairs Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Shilpa Shetty has been vocal in supporting BJP and PM Modi since way back when she congratulated PM Modi for winning the Lok Sabha 2014 elections. She said, “I am a huge fan of Narendra Modi, very happy about his win. I think he will be a fantastic PM”.
She also released gold coins at her stores engraved with BJP’s logo as a tribute to PM Modi. The gold coins released by her were a sign of hope and positive changes which were about to take place under BJP and PM Modi’s rule. She believed that PM Modi would lead India to a new era of prosperity, employment, medical services and infrastructural development in the days to come.
Her wishes to PM Modi on his birthday encompass everything from genuine admiration for his efforts in rebuilding India, to wishing him the best for realizing those dreams in the days to come. Her letter also mentions, “I am very proud of the fact that you are our Prime Minister, our Representative. I also deeply respect the transparently honest intent behind all your initiatives of building a better India.” This was a very difficult statement for someone to make coming from the elite world of Bollywood. Her co-stars change their stance every few days to build their image and their popularity, but not Shilpa Shetty.
She had also supported the Demonetisation drive of PM Modi and backed it up saying that it would improve things in the long run for the country. Shilpa Shetty gave a statement backing up the Demonetisation drive, “The hardships faced by common people were only for first twenty days or one month. But the long-term effects of it (demonetisation) will be far better. I am somebody who is very positive and I want to see the positive side of things. So it has started with very good intention,”
Her support for International Yoga Day does not need to be described separately as she is a known Yoga practitioner and has made several fitness videos and clips to inspire people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to remain fit in the long run. Shilpa Shetty was recently featured in the list of ’30 Top Health and Fitness Influencers in India’ alongside PM Modi and Indian Cricket team captain Virat Kohli, which shows her fan following and the impact she had on improving the lifestyle of Indians.
It is great to see that Shilpa Shetty has maintained her stance and support for PM Modi and BJP all through these years. Her attitude and boldness need to be appreciated and the pseudo-liberals of Bollywood that change their stance to further their own popularity should learn a thing or two from her.