Speculation is rife in Kerala that Modi and Amit Shah have called 'cut' to Gopi's cinema plans and asked him to focus on his duties as a minister and MP.
Published Nov 09, 2024 | 10:05 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 09, 2024 | 10:05 AM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have advised him to concentrate fully on his ministerial responsibilities and work for his constituency.
Speculation is rife in Kerala that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah asked junior minister Suresh Gopi to suspend his cinema plans and concentrate on his work as a politician.
The speculation gathered strength after actor-politician Gopi, who represents Thrissur in the Lok Sabha, shaved his beard. Gopi, a national award-winning actor, had been reiterating that he could not imagine a life without working in cinemas.
It has been reported that the BJP top brass asked Gopi to step away from the cinema arc light and dedicate himself full-time to politics. The reports came amidst the actor’s growing role in Kerala BJP.
Sources in the BJP’s state unit said Gopi has been entrusted with new responsibility after his recent meeting with the prime minister. Additionally, they also said that he was asked to focus entirely on his ministerial duties and his constituency.
He has been instructed to stay in Delhi three days a week and take charge of the roster during the upcoming winter session of Parliament, from 25 November. In this capacity, he will be responsible for addressing questions in the House when other Union Ministers are unavailable.
Additionally, Gopi will lead India’s delegation at the G7 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Florence, Italy, from 13 to 15 November. He has also been asked to actively intervene in addressing Waqf Board-related issues in Kerala.
The sources said these increased responsibilities came with a directive from Shah to limit his film work to just one movie per year. This restriction is in line with the heightened focus on his ministerial duties.
Gopi has been working in Ottakomban his 250th film, when he posted his beardless photographs on social media. Additionally, he has committed several other movies, much to the excitement of his fans.
However, government regulations restrict Union ministers from holding secondary professional engagements, meaning his acting commitments are now on hold.
While fans await updates on Ottakomban, it appears the actor will prioritise his ministerial duties, delaying his return to the silver screen. Gopi has reportedly already committed to 22 films.
PDT Achari, the former Lok Sabha General Secretary, commented in a media interview that a Union minister cannot engage in other professional activities, as per the code of conduct. He emphasised that the role of a minister should be viewed as a full-time commitment.
Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting that Gopi’s film projects may be affected by his current ministerial role. He has not yet responded to the reports.
When contacted, his office and the BJP’s state office-bearers refused to comment. However, a spokesperson of the producers association said he is likely to seek an exemption to act since he had received the advance payment for a few movies.
Dr J Premila Devi, BJP’s state Vice President supported the Centre’s decision asking Gopi to focus on his political duties.
“He was elected with a significant majority and has now become the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas. His primary responsibility is to perform this role efficiently, which is also what the people expect from him. While we know he has a passion for acting, he can pursue that after his tenure. He has already made a name for himself in the film industry,” she said.
“It might be difficult for him, but as a Union minister, his foremost duty is to serve as an MP and fulfill his ministerial responsibilities. I believe Gopi will understand the importance of what Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah have conveyed. To my knowledge, he is not permitted to take up any office of profit while holding a ministerial position,” she added.
A senior leader from the Thrissur BJP district committee told South First that the decision was necessary because Gopi’s victory was the result of the hard work put in by the Kerala BJP.
“Each of us made repeated visits, sometimes up to 10 times, to every home in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, asking for votes. You can imagine how difficult it is to cover all the houses in such a large constituency. That hard work should be reflected in the constituency through his actions,” he said, requesting anonymity.
He added that the MP found it challenging to reach every part of his constituency due to his busy schedule. “This gap can be exploited by our opponents. Gopi can continue his acting career after his tenure, but for now, he needs to focus on being more active in both state politics and his constituency, especially with the assembly elections approaching,” he added.
AV Vallabhan, a ward member from Choondal and NCP representative told South First that people across party lines had high expectations when Gopi was elected from Thrissur.
“They believed that major projects would be brought to Thrissur, besides special packages. However, five months have passed, and nothing has materialised. The people are now disappointed. Personally, I have not seen him attend a single meeting or public program.”
Adv VM Muhammed Gazali, a member of the Kadappuram ward from IUML said Gopi has been absent from most programmes. “I don’t know if he’s not attending or he hasn’t been invited.”
VN Surjith, a District Panchayat Division Member from CPI(M), also said Gopi had not attended any programme despite his name being included in invitation notices.
“When we mention this, people think it’s due to political differences, but even BJP leaders here in Thrissur are disappointed. The reality is that people have realised it was all just a political stunt to secure one seat for the BJP. Anyway, Thrissur won’t make this mistake again,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
