Former Bollywood actress enters race for prime minister of Canada

• Ruby Dhalla officially entered the race to succeed Justin Trudeau.
• She was born in Canada to an immigrant Punjabi family.
• She remains one of the few Indian-origin women in Canadian politics.

Ruby Dhalla, a former Bollywood actress-turned-politician, has officially entered the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party. If successful, she would make history as Canada’s first prime minister of colour.

Born in Canada to an immigrant Punjabi family, Ruby was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004, shortly after starring in her first and only Bollywood film, Kyon? Kis Liye? (2003).

The film, directed by Vinod Talwar, was inspired by the murder trial of Hamilton serial killer Sukhwinder Dhillon. However, Ruby later attempted to block the film’s DVD release, claiming her promotional images were doctored. Producer Charanjit Sihra refuted her claims, stating, "She came to Hamilton and she always wanted to be a Bollywood star. I gave her a chance in the film."

Ruby served as a Member of Parliament for Brampton-Springdale until 2011 and remains one of the few Indian-origin women in Canadian politics. In addition to acting and politics, she has worked as a model and hotelier, even securing the runner-up title in the 1993 Miss India Canada pageant. Whether her political aspirations will mirror her past successes remains to be seen.

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