Khushbu Sundar wears several hats: Actress, producer, screenwriter, wife, mother and politician.
When it comes to politics, the 53-year-old, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national executive committee member and BJP leader in Tamil Nadu, looks towards Singapore as a shining example of governance.
The BJP has yet to become a powerful force in Tamil Nadu, but it hopes to make an impact in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are due by May.
And the party, which runs the Central government, is counting on Khushbu to produce results in the state.
If she gets to have a say in Tamil Nadu politics, Khushbu would like to adopt several initiatives that have worked for Singapore, she told tabla! during a recent visit here as the brand ambassador of Namaste Bharat, an Indian shopping festival organised by event management company De Ideaz.
“I would like to clean up rivers, like how excellently the Singapore government has done,” she said. “There was a time when Singapore’s main river used to be dirty. But Mr Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore’s first prime minister) did an amazing job getting it cleaned.
“He was a man with a vision, and there is so much we can learn from him. He changed the face of Singapore.
“It is important to love your land and respect public property. Only then can things be done. I would love to see the rivers in Tamil Nadu absolutely clean. This is something that we have been talking about, but nothing has happened.”
Khushbu is also impressed by the way people respect the laws in Singapore. “Locals, as well as visitors, take India for granted,” she said. “They litter everywhere. They spit wherever they want. They don’t follow the traffic lights.
“But, whenever they go overseas, they follow all the rules. I wish they could behave like Singapore residents, follow the rules and make India a better place to live in.”
A popular lead actress during the 1990s and early 2000s, Khushbu, who was born in Mumbai but has made Chennai her home, runs film production and distribution company Avni Cinemax with her husband Sundar C. The couple have two girls, Avantika and Anandita.
Handling different tasks on a daily basis is not easy, but Khushbu says multitasking is one of her favourite things.
“I like to do multiple jobs. I believe that nothing is impossible, but I always say that I’m not the only woman who is good at multitasking. There are several who are excellent; it’s an inbuilt talent we have.
“From getting up at four in the morning to prepare food and manage the household to being the last to sleep at night after ensuring everything is smooth for the family, an Indian woman does a lot of things single-handedly. She has little help but does the job well.”
“I still do films, but very selectively,” she said. “It is my bread and butter. I also do something on television, but very, very minimal. Most of my time is spent on politics.”
