Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (2009–2014, 2014–2019) from Patna Sahib. He was also a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha during 1996–2002 and 2002–2008. He was a Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Shipping in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He was a member of standing committee on transport, tourism and culture and member of consultative committee in ministry of external affairs and overseas Indian affairs from 2014 to 2019. In 2016, his biography, Anything but Khamosh, was released. Early life Sinha was born in Patna, Bihar, to Bhubaneswari Prasad Sinha and Shyama Devi Sinha on 9 December 1945. He is the youngest of four brothers – Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and himself. He graduated from Patna Science College with a Bachelor of Science. He had a Diploma in Acting from the Film and Television Institute of India Pune. Currently there's a scholarship being awarded in his name in the institute to Diploma students. He moved to Mumbai, where he started his career in the film industry. He is married to former Miss India Poonam Sinha (née Chandiramani). Acting career Sinha got his first acting opportunity to play a Pakistani military officer in Dev Anand's Prem Pujari. Subsequently, he got a small role as a police inspector in Mohan Sehgal's Sajan in 1969. The release of Prem Pujari was delayed, so his first released film was Sajan. He later appeared in villainous roles in Pyar Hi Pyar, Banphool, Manmohan Desai's Raampur Ka Lakshman, Bhai Ho Toh Aisa, Sultan Ahmed's Heera, and in Vijay Anand's Blackmail. He played supporting roles in many films before appearing in Gulzar's Mere Apne in 1971. He was cast along with his future wife Poonam Sinha, then called as Komal, in the movie Sabak (1973). He played supporting roles in Khilona, Dulal Guha's Dost in 1974, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Jheel Ke Us Paar and Gambler in 1970. He acted with Amitabh Bachchan in films like Raaste Ka Paththar, Yaar Meri Zindagi, Shaan and Kala Paththar, of which Shaan was the biggest success. He later acted in Bombay to Goa, Dostana and Naseeb. His films as the lead hero between 1970 and 1975 were not hits. His