Known as the angry young man of Odia film industry, Akash Dasnayak seems to have taken a cue from his serious roles in films and implemented it in his first stint in politics. He is working hard with great seriousness to know his constituency Korei.
Busy making several rounds of the region and meeting voters, Akash says: “I sleep at three in the morning and get up by 5am. We start early to avoid the tough heat conditions and once in Korei, I ensure I cover as many houses as possible walking door to door.”
Though he has one of the best physiques among Odia actors, his diet has gone for a toss and this is a bit worrying for Akash. “This is the time to mould myself into the kind of politician people want. This requires spending maximum time with them. So, this is not the time to stick to a perfect diet. We carry canned and packed food and keep munching on something light when we travel,” he says.
“I can always get back the right fitness by working out,” Akash says with confidence.
Dressed in white kurta-pyjama and the unusual Jitendra-style white shoes, Akash does not believe in wearing shades while campaigning. “I like to make eye contact with the public,” he smiled.
There is not much information about the history of his constituency on the Internet and there isn’t a need to research on it if you are meeting voters everyday, feels Akash.
“I don’t prepare my speech or research about how I can impress people of Korei. I just go there and start asking them what were they disappointed about last time and what could be done to improve the situation,” said the star, who has a good hold on his mother tongue. His stint with the theatre also helps him in the campaigning and it gets reflected in his impromptu oratory.
To kill time during the travel, Akash picks up his smartphone and updates his Facebook profile. He has redesigned it ever since he suddenly jumped into politics. Pictures, agenda, messages and vote appeals are all there on his Facebook page. Spending a little but quality time with his wife after reaching home is his favourite way of relaxing, says the first-time candidate.
