Love in the Time of Politics

Politics is a dangerous terrain – and so is love. But what happens when the two come together? In the world of film, the chances are you’ll get a romantic comedy. This is what happens in William Dear’s latest movie – “Politics of Love ” – which releases this summer in India and in the U.S. The film, which was originally titled “Love, Barack,” takes place around the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, during which a Democrat and a Republican fall in love.

The film follows Kyle Franklin, played by Brian White, an African-American Republican, as he falls in love with Aretha Gupta, a volunteer in Barack Obama’s electoral campaign, played by Indian actress Mallika Sherawat. “The election of Barack Obama had been a cleansing event for most Americans, throwing out the regime of fear mongers that had all but destroyed the U.S., both at home and abroad, by lying us into two wars and trampling the civil rights of our citizens. It was an historic time that will always be remembered,” Mr. Dear said.

According to news reports, the film was inspired by real-life romance stories that were sparked during the presidential campaign.The lead role in a Hollywood film comes as good news for Ms. Sherawat, who is more known for her dance routines in Hindi films and, more recently, for turning up scantily-clad on the red carpet at Cannes. Her last Hollywood appearance was in a blink-and-miss role in Jackie Chan’s “The Myth.” When the trailer for “Politics of Love” was recently aired at the Cannes film festival, it generated quite a buzz, prompting Mr. Dear to describe the response to the film as “incredible.” A party organized in the French town for the movie included waiters wearing Obama masks.

Politics of Love

Mallika Sherawat EXCLUSIVE TOUR on the set

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