Bollywoods Shot At Real-Life Heroism

Bollywood baddies-turned-heroes Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna today assumed office as ministers in the Indian government. The ceremonies had all the trappings of a Bollywood masala: suspense, glamour, high drama and tall promises.

THE PROMISES: Sinha, who took over as health minister, spoke of the need to introduce health insurance cover for the one billion plus citizens of the country. Outlining his vision, Sinha said he would ensure that hospitals were built in every district. "I will talk to the urban development ministry for concessional land for private hospitals. In return, the hospital will have to provide free treatment to at least a third of their poor patients," he said.

On his part, Khanna, minister of state for tourism and culture, said Bollywood producers held the key to reviving the fortunes of the tourism industry.

He said he would talk to them about shooting their films in India rather than abroad. "We will be identifying and developing innovative tourist packages," he told reporters.

THE GLAMOUR: Nirman Bhawan, the seat of the health ministry, saw frenzied activity today, so much so that laddus and barfis for the guests were ignored. Star-struck officials and workers lined the staircase and corridors to welcome Sinha, the filmstar-turned-Cabinet minister, who was accompanied by wife Poonam. The welcome was more effusive than for any health minister in the recent past.

THE DRAMA: When questioned about his advertising campaign for a leading whiskey brand, Sinha said he regretted endorsing such products. "I've not even endorsed a soft drink after that," he quipped, adding that, "No person is rich enough to buy his past or strong enough to destroy it." Sinha feels tobacco consumption is a bigger problem than that of liquor. "Liquor is consumed with a 24 hour time lag. Indians usually go in for social drinking in the evenings. Alcoholism is not a serious problem in India," he said.

THE SUSPENSE: Khanna, who had promised to transform his constituency, Gurdaspur in Punjab, into Paris, said he would focus on foreign tourists to promote the tourism sector. When it was pointed out that his senior, tourism minister Jagmohan, had said the domestic tourist needed to be encouraged more than his foreign counterpart, Khanna said it was his first day in office and he would thrash it out with Jagmohan soon.

Thus began Bollywood's day in the corridors of power.