Actor Mallika Sherawat applauded US Vice President Kamala Harris on her 'self-made' political career after she was named as the Democratic Party's official candidate for the US Presidential elections. "Coming from India, female politicians are so rare. If they are there, they come from a very dynastic or royal family. Here I was meeting a lady who had built everything with her own two hands," Sherawat told Vanity Fair in an interview.
The 'Welcome' actor had incidentally hinted in 2009 that Kamala Harris could go on to become the US President, a post that has gone viral again.
"Having fun at a fancy event with a woman who they say could be US President, Kamala Harris. Chicks rule," Sherawat had posted on X (formerly Twitter) in 2009. It was a prescient remark, made well before Harris, then a San Francisco attorney, became the Democratic presidential nominee. Her resurfaced tweet has sparked a buzz on social media with some people calling Mallika Sherawat a clairvoyant.
The meeting between the two took place when Sherawat was playing a character inspired by Harris in an indie film 'Politics of Love' (2011).
Sherawat, who attended a Beverly Hills fundraiser for Harris in 2009, recalled feeling out of place at the event. She said Harris made her feel comfortable, advising her to get out of her comfort zone.
"I was feeling like a fish out of water. It was my first time in LA, and she really put me at ease. I remember her saying that getting out of your comfort zone is good to build character and it will make you a stronger person," she told Vanity Fair.
"For want of a better term, she was like one of us-a normal person with inspiring goals," the 47-year-old actor added.
Harris is now the Democratic Presidential candidate for the November 2024 US elections, following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race last month. This development has led to former President Donald Trump becoming the oldest candidate in the race, and has resulted in a series of personal attacks on Harris from Trump.
Mallika Sherawat has worked in several movies which hit commercial success in Bollywood. Her first hit was Anurag Basu's 'Murder' (2004). She was also seen in popular Bollywood hits such as 'Pyarr Ke Side Effects' (2006), 'Welcome' (2007), and 'Guru' (2007). She was last seen in a 2021 comedy-drama 'RK/RKay'.
Speaking of the film 'Politics of Love' (2011), one of the producers Govind Menon said, "At that time, the Democrat-Republican divide wasn't as toxic and as horrible as it is now. I don't think that we would've made that movie now."
Mallika Sherawat played the character of a campaign worker for Barrack Obama in the film. This character was inspired by Kamala Harris serving as an interesting footnote in the trajectory of her political career from being a district attorney to vouching for a 'new America' while accepting the presidential nominee at the Democratic Convention on Thursday.
Mallika Sherawat also recalls "casually asking" of Harris, "Do you think, Kamala, you could be president one day?" To which Harris had confidently responded, "Why not?" If she wins, Kamala Harris will not only make history by becoming the first woman US President but also the first black woman to do so.
