Elections discount veteran Bollywood stars

LUCKNOW, India, April 25 (UPI) -- The appeal of Bollywood stars to voters in India's largest state may be fading.

Voters in Uttar Pradesh would rather see much younger and more stunning actors like Celina Jaitley and Kareena Kapoor on the campaign trail, the Calcutta Telegraph reported.

The newspaper said Hema Malini, until recently the "Dream Girl," is now a mere "mom" to a candidate of the BJP party, fighting to unseat the ruling Samajwadi party.

Jaya Bachchan, wife of superstar Amitabh, got only a lukewarm reception with her standard message of being the "Bahu (daughter-in-law)" of Allahabad city. After last week's much publicized marriage of her son Abishek to Aishwarya Rai, Jaya has become a "Saas (mother-in-law)," said the report.

The Congress party reportedly has roped in both Jaitley and Kapoor.

One student told the newspaper: "Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini play ornamental roles in films. So when they speak about a party, we feel our mom is talking to us."

The big question is whether the ruling Samajwadi Party is holding the ultimate "double A" star appeal up its sleeve -- Abishek and Aishwarya.