From Democracy to Dynasties: Analyzing Political Corruption and Nepotism in 50 Years of India’s History

The connection between celebrities and politicians is a seemingly unclear, bizarre, and global phenomenon. In India, the interconnectedness is apparent; yet perhaps precisely because of its controversial nature, it has not been written about in a scholarly manner. This article will look at the 1980s as a starting point for the nexus between celebrities and political corruption with an overview at the role of Bollywood, politics and economic policies. In particular, it will ask: How does the involvement of celebrities in political affairs contribute to or exacerbate issues of political corruption? Have celebrities exploited their fame to engage in corrupt practices (bribery, cronyism, misuse of public funds, etc.)? Have politicians leveraged the popularity and influence of celebrities for personal gain or to advance corrupt agendas? The method will be as follows. In part one, I will assess the problem of corruption and its rise. In part two, I will look at three case studies (the connection of actors and politics, the celebrification of politicians in India, and the Congress dynasty) with a look at critical debates over these issues in the past fifty years and examine their impact on democratic processes, public trust and institutional integrity.

In the last part of the paper, I will conclude with a course of action that I think is most likely to successfully address the policy problem.