A politician's journey to Bollywood

Had it been some two decades back, she could have been in the lead role of a Bollywood film, acting as a heroine. Yet it is not too late for the effervescent and irrepressible former Forest Minister of Rajasthan, Bina Kak, to be in the tinsel world for presently she is mothering none other than Salman Khan, one of the mighty Khans, in an under production film in the R.K.Studios.
What if her critics back in her former Assembly constituency Sumerper in Pali district term it as an "escape'' after her defeat in the 2003 elections or her colleagues' smirk that she always had an element of "drama'' in her, Bina is enjoying her fling. "I was not scared to go in front of the camera for the first time as, in politics, I have always faced the public,'' Ms. Kak told this Correspondent, speaking on phone from Mumbai.
Ms.Kak, younger sister of known social activist, Kamala Bhasin, has completed 75 per cent of her role as mother of Salman in the yet to be titled David Dhawan film, scheduled for release sometime in March-April. The project is a home production of the Khans, with Sohail Khan, as the producer. The cast includes Sushmita Sen, Katherina Kaif, Arshad Varshi, Rajpal Yadav besides Sohail Khan himself.
"The film is a love triangle involving Salman Khan who is a doctor. I am enjoying the role of a mother. It is a challenging role and fairly long too,'' Ms.Kak, who has a background of theatre, said. It was Salman who had asked her to do the role. "Of late after losing the election I was not doing much. Then I thought why not take up this assignment,'' she informed.
"They have shown tremendous confidence in me. I have known Salman's father Salim Saheb and mother Salma for long. I love Salman as a human being. That boy is gem of a man,'' Ms.Kak added talking from "Galaxy'', the residence of the Khans in Bandra, Mumbai. "It is like a big party here every day. Of course, with lot of work.'' Ms.Kak is enjoying it all.
For Ms.Kak, the Salman connection had brought some criticism during her tenure as the Tourism Minister and later as the Forest Minister in Rajasthan. Eyebrows were raised when she, then holding the portfolio of Forests, hosted a dinner in Jaipur to Salman as the actor was facing trial in the infamous poaching case in which he was allegedly caught hunting Indian gazelle in one of the Vishnoi villages near Jodhpur.
"The poaching episode dates back to the period when the previous BJP Government was in power in the State. It was already sub judice when I was a Minister. I could not have influenced the outcome in any way. These things should not be clubbed,'' she noted with a tinge of exasperation in her voice.
Has her current liaison with the celluloid world the sanction of the Congress leadership and does her foray into the films is saying goodbye to politics ? "The politics remains. I will be back in my constituency soon. I belong there. Films are also a medium to reach out to the people''. As for letting know the party about her stint in Bollywood, Ms.Kak said she had conveyed it to the party president, Sonia Gandhi, through someone in her office.