TMC debutant MP Saayoni Ghosh’s journey: From ‘full-time Tollywood actor’ to ‘full-time politician’

Life has turned around dramatically for the 31-year-old actor-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh over the last few years. Saayoni used to refer herself as a “full-time actor” before 2021, but now sees herself as a “full-time politician” after being elected as the MP of the prestigious Jadavpur constituency in West Bengal on the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s ticket in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

A prominent face in the Bengali film industry, Saayoni says her entry into politics was not a “fluke”. “Many people think actors who take political plunge are not serious about serving people. I am here to prove this myth wrong,” she told The Indian Express.

Even during the peak of her acting career, where she got rave reviews for her performances in films like Rajkahani (2015), Byomkesh O Chiriakhana (2016) and Astey Ladies (2019), Saayoni says she used to take part in public discussions on political topics.

However, she made her formal entry into politics in 2021 after she got a phone call from Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Baneerjee, who offered her party’s ticket from the Asansol Dakshin Assembly constituency. Saayoni agreed to contest the seat, but lost to the BJP’s Agnimitra Paul by just over 4,400 votes.

Despite her defeat, however, she was soon named the TMC’s youth wing president in Bengal as Mamata’s nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee was relieved of the post following his appointment as the party national general secretary.

Mamata elevated Saayoni in light of her political savvy. She excelled in her new party post. “It gave me the opportunity to meet thousands of young people whose concerns I will take up in Parliament now,” she says, while pointing out that the youths of the country have been reeling from poverty and