New Delhi, June 12 -- Film stars with political ambitions often leverage their popular on-screen personas to launch political careers. While this can provide a powerful launchpad, it often comes with the risk of diminishing their box-office appeal.

The latest to face this conundrum are top southern movie stars Vijay, who launched a political party in February to contest next year's Tamil Nadu assembly polls, and Pawan Kalyan, who is serving as deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Their films are slated for release in the coming months, but trade experts warn of muted box-office performance, as they may no longer enjoy the universal appeal that transcended political ideologies.

The past record of multiple actors-turned-politicians sh...