Mumbai, December 31: As the year comes to an end, it is time to revisit the important events that took place in the year 2018.  And talking about important events, few things in India can be more important than politics and showbiz, as the cliche goes. The year 2018 saw some big celebrities from the world of cinema joining politics and news of many others possibly taking the political step ahead in the 2019 general elections.

Politics is a field that has always attracted celebs. Many theories have been used to describe the motive behind doing so, but the most popular notion is that, the lure of power and recognition politics offers once the celebs (actors, cricketers) are past their prime in their field is unmatched. However, politics is hard work and entering politics and making it to the top is not as easy as it seems. Actor Govinda being one of many such cases. But there have also been successful actors turned politicians, especially in the South, like MGR, NTR, J Jayalalithaa and many more. Among the current crop, Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi, Captain Vijayakanth are among the actors turned politicians in South.

Below are some noteworthy names that joined politics in the year 2018:

Kamal Haasan:

Noted film actor Kamal Haasan ceremoniously entered the political fray on February 21, 2018 launching his own political party. The outfit has been named as Makkal Needhi Maiam or the People's Justice Party, which makes one recall the pre-independence Justice Party based in Madras Presidency of British India. Kamal Haasan Launches Political Party: Makkal Needhi Maiam.

Film actor Kamal Haasan's entry into Tamil Nadu politics drew national gaze, as the state of Tamil Nadu continues to remain on shaky political grounds since the demise of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. For the fans of Haasan, a "revolution is on the way" as they put up banners across Rameswaram to Madurai, saying, "naalai namadhe (tomorrow is ours)", when actor turned politician Kamal Haasan announced his decision to enter politics. Kamal Haasan Enters Politics: How Parties in Tamil Nadu Have Reacted so Far.

Rajinikanth:

Though Rajinikanth announced that he would be formally joining politics in December 2017, it is the year 2018 that has seen the emergence of Rajini- The Politician.

The Actor turned politician also drew flak as aid materials distributed by his outfit - Makkal Mandram - to Cyclone Gaja victims has the actor's stamp over them. After the images were shared by the local media, the southern superstar was charged of seeking publicity amid a humanitarian disaster.

However, that does not dent the image of Rajinikanth. The actor recently announced efforts were underway to register a name with the registrar of trademarks for the launch of a television channel floated by his forum, Rajini Makkal Mandram. Rajinikanth has also been commenting on issues of political importance for Tamil Nadu and its people and was more active politically in the year 2018 than any year since his influence in the 1996 elections. The superstar has confirmed his intention to contest in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections in all 234 constituencies. He has also stated that his party would resign if it was unable to fulfill its electoral promises within three years of coming into power.

Earlier in the year, there were reports that the BJP was planning to rope in superstars like Akshay Kumar, Sunny Deol, Mohan Lal, Madhuri Dixit and cricketer Virender Sehwag, to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Rumours are also strong about the possibility of recently retired cricketer Gautam Gambhir and film actor Anupam Kher contesting on BJP tickets in the upcoming General Elections in 2019. Whether these celebs and cricketers will take the political plunge, remains to be seen. Happy new year to all our readers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2018 12:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).