Poster boy of 60s returns — with posters to woo voters

A banner with TMC leader Mamata Banerjee’s photograph is held high as Biswajeet is introduced as a “Bollywood film actor’’ to shoppers and shopkeepers in the bustling Sarojini Nagar Market.

But not everyone recognises the ‘poster boy’ of the 60s. “Yeh kaun hai? Kaun si party se hai?’’ (Who is he? Which party is he from?),” queries Vishal, who owns a stall in the area, holding a TMC party cap given to him by one of the workers.
These questions don’t seem to bother Biswajeet. “Elections are like T-20 cricket. You can never tell who will win until the last ball is bowled,” says the actor.

Dressed in white with a TMC scarf around his neck, a white cap and dark glasses, Biswajeet reaches for his handkerchief often to wipe off sweat as he walks through the market in the afternoon sun.

He stops to address the people around him, and asks for their support. “You people supported me during my film career and made me what I am today. Now, I ask for your support as a Lok Sabha contestant from New Delhi,’’ he says.

Referring to Mamata didi, he says it was she who sent him here. “You all must know Mamata didi. She removed the CPM from power in West Bengal. Now we are here to bring a wave of change in the entire country,’’ he says.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he says a party that could not ensure protection of women in the “rajdhani”, should not even bother to float a candidate.

“These people promise water and power to you, but my question is what will you do with these facilities if your women are not safe?” the actor delivers the dialogue in true Bollywood style.

“Yeh aab nahi chalege ki raja ka beta hi raja banega (It will no longer work that only the king’s son will succeeds him),” he says.

After his speech, as he walks further, he is stopped by Vinod Pahuja, a juice shop owner. He insists that Biswajeet have juice at his shop as six camera phones focus on him. “I am his fan, which is why I asked him to stop for juice at my shop,’’ says Pahuja.

Biswajeet is hopeful that such fans will inform their children about him. “People recognise me. They will tell their sons and daughters about me. After 50 years in the film industry, I wanted to do more and so decided to join politics. I am no stranger to Delhi. I have been here for many film shootings besides other functions,’’ he says as he walks to his car.
Parked alongside his car are six auto-rickshaws with pictures of Mamata Banerjee adorning them. The actor and his team quickly zip off to their next padyatra destination —  R K Purarm.

In New Delhi constituency, Biswajeet has been pitted against former union sports minister and Ajay Maken, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi and former journalist Ashish Khetan of the AAP.