Amitabh Bachchan
If there was ever a time my admiration for the celebrity Amitabh Bachchan was running high, it is now. The sixty something stalwart superstar of Hindi cinema, who hates the word ‘Bollywood,’ is taking the bullish and intruding media by its horns. How? Where? On his blog of course.
Here’s a sample—the one that I like:
The questions [from Srinivasan Jain and Barkha Dutt, NDTV] had similar content. Not to say that the other 42 interviews that I did in the evening were any better, but ’similar’ was the unchallenged constant. Shatrughan Sinha, Salim Khan, Raj Thakeray, Anurag Basu. Commerce and sensationalism still riding high on their intelligent shoulders.
Why so angry now? Would you still be friends with them? Why do you think you are attacked? Would you still greet them?
And I wait for the dynamic headlines announcing the interview. Some thing that will draw attention, keep the audience unmoved from their channel. Phone in’s may get constructed around comments of mine. Do you think he is right in saying so - phone in your comments at 58822 something, put Y and gap and N and gap. Get the graphics of the percentage going, call in a semi intellectual, preferably from the film Industry and certainly not ‘Bachchan Camp’ into the studio, repeat the questions asked in interview, expand them, cover half hour or else the adverts will not fructify. Culminate the proceedings on a note where the channel looks good and unbiased, yet signals its last cynical or sarcastic ending, dynamic background music and… channel ID !!
Turning cliches and presumptions over their heads, at his blogging rate, there will soon be no takers for second-hand news—at least about him—from the mainstream media. By writing in-depth about his side of the story, Mr. Bachchan exemplifies the fact that celebrities are normal human beings too.
Most celebrities—or people in the eye of the media storm—could only afford to ignore, and bear the brunt of the prying onslaught until now. Any kind of response—by way of a letter of disagreement—could only end up being convoluted; they’d sell that too!
Would you reward a media that publishes or provides sensational misinformation about yourself with a response? Think about it.
If you’re a celebrity and you’ve been feeling the heat, I guess it’s time to return the favor, like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan do—via their public blogs.
About blog - One has to agree - his writing skills are better than expected. Words chosen carefully, the entry reads like carefully worded essay. It is more immediate compared to the “interviews”/interpretations etc. He comes off more honest and straightforward.
His comment about media channels running the circus of sms is bang on (other day one channel was running contest on “whether marriage of abhi-ash will stick or do they make good couple etc” - it smacks of yards below yellow journalism.
The tv programs/specials are spiced up with movie captures/photos from old magazines and quotes out of context. Worst of all is reserved for “Breaking news” section and is made up of latest blog comment - How pathetic of the news channels !
Finally wrt to second hand “news/info” it will take some time but should become popular. It lends itself as mouthpiece for established folks but does not work for newcomers who need the “publicity” etc.
do check out - http://passionforcinema.com/ for other good quality blogs
Apr 30, 08 at 06:02Govind: Quite agree; and thanks for the link.
Apr 30, 08 at 19:36