After Bollywood, it’s a Hollywood shout out for Himanta Biswa Sarma now

Apart from being known for his bold and controversial statements, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma now seems to have become the go-to person for film stars for promoting their films. First, it was Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh who had reached out to Sarma at 2 in the morning on the eve of the release of Pathaan in January. Some members of the Bajrang Dal had vandalized a cinema hall in Guwahati and threatened to disrupt the release of the film, starring Khan. 

On being asked by reporters if his government would take any action against those involved in the vandalism, Sarma said that he did not know who Shah Rukh Khan though he would ensure law and order if Khan would call him seeking help. Accordingly, Khan made a call to Sarma who ensured that there was no disruption and the release and running of the film in theatres.

The controversy surrounding a chief minister claiming to not recognize the biggest superstar of the country earned the film some extra publicity, which may or may not has impacted in making it a record-breaking blockbuster. 

But Sarma’s fame seems to have spread to Hollywood. One day before the re-release of his iconic film Titanic on February 10, Leonardo DiCaprio took to the social media platform Instagram to laud the Sarma-led Assam government’s efforts to stop poaching of the one-horned rhino. While 190 rhinos were killed between 2000 and 2021, in 2022 not a single rhino was killed in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Sarma took charge of the state as chief minister in May 2021.

“In 2021, the government of the Indian state of Assam set out to end the poaching of the Endangered Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park following the killing of around 190 animals for their horns between 2000 and 2021. In 2022, they met their goal and no rhinos were poached in the area for the first time since 1977”, Di Caprio wrote on Instagram.

Following this post, the chief minister was quick not only to express gratitude but to extend an invitation to Di Caprio to visit Assam. 

Many are now speculating if Di Caprio’s post was a genuine appreciation of the Assam government’s effort towards protecting the one-horned rhino or has been timed with the re-release of Titanic to promote the film. Sarma is one of the most popular chief ministers in the country, especially among the youth. In a recent India Today Mood of the Nation Poll, he was found to be the third most popular chief minister in the country (in his home state) and the most popular among BJP chief ministers.

Titanic was released first on  December 19, 1997, and is the third highest-grossing movie of all time. It bagged 11 Oscar awards out of 14 received nominations. The remastered version of James Cameron’s film hit the theatres on February 10. The re-release version will be in 3D 4K HDR with a high frame rate.