This is a sort of ‘Sholay’ rerun in Bihar election four decades after the release of the 1975 blockbuster film.
Basanti is original but Jai and Viru are fictional characters. But Basanti (Hema Malini) in the poll arena definitely has no liking for Jai and Viru (read lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar or Bada bhai and Chhota bhai) and wants to see them defeated.
Hema Malini, the Mathura BJP MP, is campaigning vigorously and has so far addressed about a dozen meetings. In her speeches she repeats the famous dialogue, “Chal Dhanno, teri Basanti ki ijjat ka sawal hai” and then appeals, “Vote for NDA candidates and save my honour.”
The Bollywood heroine of yesteryears is playing a key role in Bihar poll campaign. She has emerged as a star campaigner replacing Shatrughan Sinha, the Patna Sahib MP and a longtime star campaigner for BJP. A sulking Sinha is totally missing from the poll scene for the first time since he joined the BJP almost three decades ago.
But, it is not that Hema Malini tastes the Bihar water first time. She has sweet and bitter connection with the State. She had shooting with Dev Anand for film Johny Mera Nam at Rajgir and Nalanda. But the bitter relations started when then Chief Minister lalu Prasad reportedly announced to make Bihar roads as smooth as the cheeks of Hema Malini in early nineties. She and her family were so upset that her husband Dharmendra had threatened to file defamation suit against lalu.
Almost two decades later when lalu was a Central Minister he denied making this comment. Hema also buried the hatchet and once she said, “I am lalu’s fan.” The RJD supremo in his inimitable style replied, “I am her AC.”
But the bitterness between the two has once again surfaced. While lalu and Nitish are campaigning round the clock for the success of Maha Gathbandhan, the dream girl of yesteryears is making her appearance on poll scenario and saying that Bihar is in the hands of people who destroyed the State. Referring to the huge billboards adoring the skylines of Bihar which say, “Bihar mein Bahar ho, Nitishe Kumar ho”, she made a satirical comment, “They say it is Bahar (spring) in Bihar. There is no job, no investment, no peace, no education and still they say there is spring.”
The irrepressible lalu retaliated, “Even Hema Malini cannot save BJP from humiliating defeat. She is making efforts but it will prove futile. She can attract some people at her meetings but nobody will vote at her appeal.”
In a recent TV interview lalu once again denied having ever said he would build road as smooth as the cheeks of Hema Malini, he with a sheepish smile revealed, “You see Atal ji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) is a man of wit and humour and it was Atal ji who in a lighter vein had said that lalu has promised to make potholed Bihar roads as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks.” He added, “I have all respect for both Atal ji and Hema Malini.”