On Thursday, the RJD announced Khesari Lal Yadav’s candidature from Chhapra Assembly constituency, a day after the Bhojpuri actor affirmed his support for RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.
Bihar Assembly Election: Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly Election from the Chhapra Assembly constituency for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Notably, the party had initially decided to field Khesari’s wife, Chanda Devi, but was forced to replace her with the Bhojpuri actor and singer after her name was not found on the latest Bihar voter list released by the Election Commission after the conclusion of its Special Intensive Revision in the poll-bound state.
Who is Khesari Lal Yadav?
Shatrughan Kumar Yadav, professionally known as Khesari Lal Yadav, is a huge name in the Bhojpuri entertainment industry. The 39-year-old actor, dancer, and singer has acted in over 70 films, and sung over 5000 songs in Bhojpuri, Hindi, Awadhi and Haryanvi, and was also a participant in the 13th season of popular reality show Bigg Boss in 2019.
Born on March 15, 1986, in Dhanadih village in Bihar’s Saran district, Shatrughan Yadav grew up in a low-income household along with seven other siblings, three of whom are his own brothers, while the other four are his cousins, who were raised by Khesari’s mother as her own after their birth mother passed away at a young age.
The poverty-ridden family lived in a mud house, which collapsed months ahead of Khesari’s birth due to heavy rains, forcing the family to temporarily reside in a modest rented home.
Khesari’s father, Mangaru Lal Yadav, worked two jobs– selling Chana on the streets in the day and working as a security guard at night– to make ends meet.
Growing up, Khesari used to graze cattle and sell their milks to help with the family’s finances, and lived with his mother and uncle in Chhapra, as his father worked in Delhi. Later, Kesari began living with his uncle and siblings after his mother moved to Delhi to help her husband.
How Khesari Lal Yadav became a superstar?
Khesari Lal Yadav burst onto the Bhojpuri movie industry scene in the late 2000s as a playback singer and later established a successful acting career after debuting in the 2011 Bhojpuri film Sajan Chale Sasural, where he played the lead. According to various reports, he adopted the stage name ‘Khesari’, which was given to him during his childhood because of his peculiar habit of talking too much as a child.
The popular Bhojpuri actor made his Bollywood debut as a singer 2014’s Koyelaanchal, and has won several awards for his performances as a an actor and vocalists in the Bhojpuri industry, including Best Popular Actor at the 2016 Bhojpuri Film Awards, as well as Best Actor (Male) and Best Playback Singer (Male) at the Sabrang Film Awards in 2018.
On Thursday, the RJD announced Khesari Lal Yadav’s candidature from Chhapra Assembly constituency, a day after the Bhojpuri actor affirmed his support for RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, saying he would campaign for the Mahagathbandhan party if his wife did not contest the upcoming polls.
“I want my wife to contest the election. I have been trying to convince her for the last 4 days. If she agrees, we will file the nomination; otherwise, I will only campaign and try to make Bhaiya (Tejashwi Yadav) win,” Khesari told ANI.
