To Hema Malini, Junsuti may sound like “Filmcity”, but the isolated village has nothing to do with Bollywood.

The people of Junsuti, tucked away in a dusty corner of Mathura, eke out a living through farming but their MP is wooing them with dreams of a stellar career at the movies like Shah Rukh Khan’s.

Seeking reelection for the third time from Mathura on a BJP ticket, Hema reached the village at 5.20pm on Monday to address a gathering, the majority of whom had come with her from Mathura city. Some of the villagers who attended the meeting were those who live near Bihari Mandir, where a stage had been erected and loudspeakers installed.

“While entering the village, I came to know that its name is Junsuti. To me, it sounds like Filmcity, which we have in Mumbai. Something that doesn’t exist in real has been created there,” Hema said.

Someone from the audience shouted: “If so, convert Junsuti into Filmcity.”

Hema replied: “I wish that your Junsuti becomes Filmcity.”

A BJP leader who was accompanying her stretched his hand over his head and shouted while clapping: “Taliyan (clap). Hema Maliniji ki jai (Long live Hema Maliniji).”

The audience clapped.

Encouraged, Hema continued: “Your children come to me in Mumbai to become actors. They think that since I made Shah Rukh Khan an actor… I launched Shah Rukh Khan with Dil Aashna Hai. I had directed and produced the film. I brought him to the industry and now he has become such a big star. Isn’t it? He is a big hero.”

Then she asked the audience: “You must be familiar with him?”

There was silence in the audience.

She turned to a BJP leader standing near her and asked him in a low voice: “Do these people know him?”

“Yes”, the man nodded.

Hema continued: “Youths and parents come to me with this hope. They are farmers. But they too dream that their sons would make a name as actors.... It happens if you join films and you are handsome. They need to keep this in mind or they (the aspirants) should have lots of talent.”

A dirt road of about 20km takes one to Junsuti from Mathura. Around 5,000 families live in the village and the majority of them are small and marginal farmers or labourers. The women either manage the kitchen and look after the cattle or work in the field.

There are five schools in Junsuti. The majority of the children drop out of school before Class X to help their parents in agriculture.

Some of them clear their intermediate and take admission to a college in Mathura and then travel to big cities in search of jobs. There is hardly any influence of Bollywood on this village. Those who live here can identify filmstars by their names but don’t have any interest in Bollywood movies.

“Those who are above 60 may have watched movies in cinemas in the past but the younger generation is not interested in films because their life is very tough. Although many of them may have smartphones, they don’t watch movies,” said Vijendra Singh, a middle-aged villager of Junsuti when The Telegraph asked him around 4pm whether he would attend Hema’s public meeting a stone’s throw from his house.

“Those who have done intermediate and are studying or living in the cities may be on social media and may be going to the theatres. But those who live here are either small and marginal farmers or labourers and their children. They have no time for entertainment,” Vijendra added.

Describing his day, Vijendra said: “No brother, I was in my agricultural field since 6am and just took my meal. As you can see, I am smoking a hukkah now. Thereafter I’ll take a nap.”

Perhaps sensing the mood of the audience and that her pitch was not striking a chord with the audience, Hema quickly changed the subject at the public meeting.

“I am talking about something not connected with today’s programme. I am here to tell you that you must turn up at the polling booths on April 26. All those from the BJP or the Rashtriya Lok Dal (an ally) have to further strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I have been your MP twice. I feel proud of doing lots of development here under the guidance of the Prime Minister and the chief minister (Yogi Adityanath). I need five more years to work more,” she said.

“There is no corruption under Yogiji and Modiji’s rule. There is no suppression of anybody, poverty has been eradicated. The poor have their own houses…. The poor don’t sleep without food. They all get electricity, food grains and free health services,” Hema added.

When this newspaper asked Bachchu Singh, 65, after the meeting whether there were any poor in the village, he said: “There are 3,000 poor families in our panchayat who depend on free food grains given to them by the government every month. This is why we vote for the BJP.”

Their house is hardly 10 metres from the venue of Hema’s meeting, but Bachchu and his wife Jamuna Devi didn’t go to see the actress. “I know she was once called the Dream Girl. But I neither have dreams nor is she a girl,” Bachchu said.

When this correspondent asked Jagarath Maharaj, 28, whether he attended the meeting, he said: “No, I had other important work.”

“There were less than 120 people at the meeting. This included 50 to 55 villagers and over 60 BJP members who accompanied the sitting MP to our village. They distributed flags and scarves with the lotus symbol of the BJP printed on it,” said Krishna Kumar, a 60-year-old farmer of Junsuti who sat on a 3ft-high boundary wall of the local temple to catch a glimpse of Hema.