Early on the sets in Malleswaram

Residents of Malleswaram were surprised to find actor Bhavana campaigning for the Congress in their midst on Wednesday. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Though the candidature of B.K. Shivaram for Malleswaram Assembly Constituency is yet to be officially announced by the Congress, it looks like the stars are shining upon him literally, with actor Bhavana already campaigning for him in the area.

Even as bigger stars such as Ambareesh, Umashree, Ramya and Darshan Toogudeepa, also with the Congress, are yet to hit the campaign trail, Bhavana is already on a door-to-door campaign in Malleswaram.

The three-time State-award-winning actor — who did one round of campaigning for N.L. Narendra Babu and Manjula Naidu, who are contesting from Mahalakshmi Layout and Rajajinagar respectively — on Tuesday and Wednesday appealed to Malleswaram voters to back the party’s “unofficial” candidate.

People in Malleswaram were surprised when Bhavana turned up at the Ganesha temple in Devaiah Park, climbed onto an open vehicle and flashed her big, bright smile, while Congress workers distributed pamphlets seeking votes.

Sharing her experiences during the campaign, Bhavana said people identify her through the character she portrays in films. “My roles in Bhagirathi, Vimukthi and Wrong Number have appealed to the people, especially women,” she said.

Ms. Bhavana likes to interact with people while she campaigns to gauge their pulse. “People, especially youth, have developed an aversion towards politics and politicians. Though they are frustrated with what is happening now, they are certainly for change,” she said, adding that though many had promised to support the Congress, only time would tell if it would indeed translate into votes.

Reluctant at first to joins politics as “acting in a film and conducting oneself ‘diplomatically’ in politics is different”, it was senior actor Umashree who gave her the final push. Her first choice was the Congress because of its “secular credentials”.

Basics first

Despite being in the party for nearly a year and campaigning in the bypolls, she did not stake her claim to contest in the Assembly elections. Contesting elections without understanding the basics of politics is “suicidal”, she said. “I want to wait for some more time. This election will provide me the kind of experience I need,” she said.