Bollywood has been politicized for ages now. From films like Upkaar, Mission Kashmir and Fanaa, to banning Pakistani artists as a power play, Bollywood just doesn’t know how to keep politics and entertainment separate.
Sadly, Bollywood celebrities have been caught in the act now, thanks to a sting operation carried out by a media outlet. Some big names in Bollywood have proved that they can do anything to get covert political endorsement, even saying yes to bribes.
Why does a Bollywood actor need to add fuel to communal violence and ethnic conflict? The short answer – money.
Operation Karaoke
The sting operation codenamed Operation Karaoke exposed who and who didn’t fall for promoting a ‘political agenda’.
#OperationKaraoke: Cobrapost reporters approached these Celebrities with a Simple Proposition: Would you be willing to promote a political party Discreetly on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram? They said Yes. #BikaooBollywood
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
A digital outlet exposed the celebs that promote political parties for money.
While the faces that sell out for money were exposed the celebrities that refused to do so were also highlighted. The public lauded Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, Raza Murad, Saumya Tandon to name a few for their integrity.
We are proud of you true nationalists @saumyatandon @ArshadWarsi @vidya_balan You really proved that
Self-respect, dignity, Truth and our democratic country is much more important than daily color changing Money !!#CobrapostExpose welldone !!@cobrapost— Abhishek (@Bobby4793) February 19, 2019
Just going through all the tweets about #BikaooBollywood, and now I get why the likes of Payal Rohatgi, Koena Mitra, etc post such politically motivated polarizing shit
So much respect for Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi for not selling their soul and rejecting the offer @cobrapost
— HRB (@Oxynom) February 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/MaidaanEtweet/status/1098087392316076032
List of Bollywood Celebrities Who Were Exposed
The Bollywood celebrities that did sell out, that’s a whole other story. The web portal approached these celebs disguised as a PR agency.
This isn’t even the full list. Some prominent names who fell for Operation Karaoke are:
- Shakti Kapoor, Actor
#OperationKaraoke: Bollywood baddy Shakti Kapoor has No confusion, He demands Rs.1 crore a month: “Aap batao na maine toh bola 9 Crore, ek Crore per Mahina… aapne Twitter ka baat kiya, Facebook ka baat kiya aur Instagram ka” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/komXjnQQY9
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Sonu Sood, Actor
#OperationKaraoke: Any doubt? “Nahi, nahi, Bilkul nahi. I got the point” says Sonu Sood. He seeks to Increase his Fee “I feel ki jo apan 1.5 crore soch rahe hain it should be at least 2.5” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/le4U12LRh3
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Sunny Leone, Item Girl
#OperationKaraoke: Sunny Leonne has a condition of granting her husband Overseas Citizenship to support BJP: “Modi Sir ne Daniel ko overseas citizen banaya toh hum zaroor support karenge.” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/nGGw0OonRy
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Mahima Chaudhary, Actress
#OperationKaraoke: Mahima Chaudhry while agreeing seeks to know the Budget “Jhoot mooth ke Tweet kitna milega … kya Budget lekar aaye ho?” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/rwls1HfmKW
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Ameesha Patel, Actress
#OperationKaraoke: For Amisha Patel, Money is the Top Priority even before she makes some general tweets “Samajho aap 28 ko aa rahe ho, transaction ho jaata hai 28 kee sham ko main kar doongi…” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/8n0b3IrH04
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Rohit Roy, Actor
#OperationKaraoke: Committing himself, Rohit Roy says “Theek hai done … Mail me and I will take it forward … kaise kya karoge ye abhi dekhna padega kyonki ye sab toh parhai likhai hogi nahi iski” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/zX6zTPfc2q
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Vivek Oberoi, Actor
#OperationKaraoke: Oberoi seeks required Data to make his messages look Factually Credible, something not paid for. “Aap data wagaireh bhi denge na…Data ke hissab se hum likh sakte hain … aisa lagna Nahi chahiye ki humein Bola gaya hai likhne ke liye” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/2SgD5TDMoN
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Shreyas Talpade, Actor and Director
#OperationKaraoke: Agreeing to promote AAP on Social media, Actor & Director Shreyas Talpade asks how many Messages he is supposed to tweet, “Haan aur ye aapko kitne duration mein tweet lenge” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/aYKrG285w9
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Jackie Shroff, Actor
#OperationKaraoke: Jackie Shroff says how it’s part of the game to keep such secrets “Wo game hota hai apna-apna yaar … apna kaam hai hum acchi baatein hum faila rahe hain, saath mein Dhan bhi de rahe hain toh oopar waale se faqir kya maangta hai” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/u5xI80Tr9H
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Hiten Tejwani, TV actor
#OperationKaraoke: Tejwani @tentej makes a revelation: “Correct, Public ko Nahi pata hoga. hota hee aisa hai saara matlab ye bhi for example ye political party ka kind of promotion hai toh hum log product bhi uss tareh se promote karte hain’ #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/A0EJhn5Q3a
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Rakhi Sawant, Item Girl
#OperationKaraoke: Savant makes a revelation on how she was hired earlier for the same purpose: “Last time bhi aise hua tha mujhe hire kiya tha Rajnath ji ne pata hai” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/9iOeOushkW
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Mika Singh, Musician
#OperationKaraoke: Why not make a small tweet on NRC in Assam? Mika is willing to help “Sahi baat … Main chahta hoon ki aap mujhe uska content bhej do main usko halka-fulka edit kar doonga” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/19nY15xY07
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Ganesh Acharya, Choreographer
#OperationKaraoke: Film Choreographer, Actor & Director Ganesh Acharya is quick to understand that he has to work on a Hidden Agenda: “Nahi main samajh gayaa aapki baat … Hidden hai” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/cNUiizGXGB
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Pankaj Dheer, Director
#OperationKaraoke: For Dheer, Messages Have to be Effective “Wo toh circus ban jayega. Tweet aana chahiye bahut Soch samajh ke, aur bahud qayde se, aur bahut time pe jiska weight bhi ho … It should be Appreciated also” #BikaooBollywood pic.twitter.com/Dh702HtAzM
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
- Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Musician
#OperationKaraoke: Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya offers to make incendiary videos that would make viewers’ blood boil: “Wo mera video lijiye aap statement live … paanch-paanch minute teen-teen chaar minute ke khoon khaulane wala video lijiye” pic.twitter.com/J1S7L9e37j
— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) February 19, 2019
This is a sad indictment of some Bollywood celebrities that we used to love and look forward to. Guess all that money can corrupt the best of us.