Indian Media and Bollywood

I start with a disclaimer: I am an admirer of certain sections of the Indian Media – both print and electronic – for the courageous work they do under the prevailing circumstances in our country by taking various administrative bodies and governmental systems head-on and holding them accountable.

Nevertheless, i have always been aware and amused by the close similarities displayed by the Indian Media with our esteemed Bollywood! ... Hold on for a few moments and you too will, perhaps, agree with me.

It was one of those evenings when i was generally chatting over coffee with a friend from the US and while talking we tread into the domain of democracy. Both of us expressed our individual pride that how fortunate we were to be born in the largest and the oldest democracy respectively. So in general terms we touched upon all the three arms of a functional democracy and then came to rest on the fourth – the Press, which in today’s parlance is popularly referred to as the Media.

‘You have so many news channels in different languages! While flipping channels yesterday evening i almost lost the count!’ my friend’s expressions were hilarious.

‘Yes, we are a big news country!’ i went along.

‘But tell me one thing. Do Indians argue a lot?’ i knew exactly where he was coming from.

‘I saw everybody debating loudly on almost all news channels; even the topic seemed to be the same!’ he had certainly not watched such television news programs before.

‘Well, have you watched any Bollywood movie? If no, then watch a few and you will understand the Indian television scenario,’ i offered my sincere advice.

‘Yeah, i have watched a couple of them. You have very beautiful actresses and even male leads look so much better than an average Indian. I love its colours! But honestly, they seem to be much Indianized,’ he was trying to be careful with his words.

‘Don’t sound diplomatic; you are echoing my sentiment.’

‘But i didn’t get the Bollywood connection in the Indian Media,’ he was genuinely perplexed.

‘Bollywood is just an analogy. If you watch carefully you will notice that the feel of both are very similar... Ok, let me explain,’ and we spent the next hour discussing the topic threadbare.

I beforehand explained to him that when i say Bollywood i do not necessarily mean Hindi movies exclusively but the Indian cinema per se. And when I say the Indian Media, it includes all and sundry in both print and television.

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media industry is the largest in the world in terms of number of channels on air and the number of dailies published in various languages and their combined viewership and readership respectively.  However, the sheer numbers do not necessarily mean the top slot or the top standards, rather much below when compared with the established names globally. 

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media is doing brisk business at home, in the local currency; however, when talked in terms of gross earnings, it seems not so significant in front of the global media giants’ revenues.

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media is hugely impactful within its national boundaries; however, its worldwide influence pales in front of the foreign press.

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media has some immensely talented people with global appeal; however, because of the limited scope of their work, they have remained almost incognito in the international news circuit.

Life Bollywood, the Indian Media has done some path breaking journalism; however, a large percentage of its cumulative work has remained mediocre.

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media has a good number of honest and courageous professionals; however, it needs to take a serious look at allegations and accusations maligning its integrity and its susceptibility to succumb in face of manipulations. 

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media is largely defined – and driven – by one segment which is the English news channels; however, its identity is highly fragmented with the Hindi and the regional news channels having their own larger loyal viewers’ base.  

Like Bollywood, the Indian Media is largely built upon larger-than-life elements drawn sometimes from imaginary ideas and its spectrum is wide enough to encompass lots of drama, tragedy, comedy, heroes and villains; however, its storyline sounds repetitive, howsoever hard they try to remain – or claim to be – contemporary, and its proximity to an average Indian’s life per se is primarily remote; one does not often witness real life imitating the ‘reel life’.

The perfect examples are the beautiful songs and dances being integral components of any Indian film whereas in reality no Indian has ever been sighted singing and dancing in public in their daily life – except in weddings or parties on movies’ music for enjoyment! In fact, a couple of my Chinese friends who were visiting India for the first time about seven years ago were really surprised to see their perception of an average ‘singing & dancing’ Indian shatter to pieces when they did not find any Indian singing and dancing in streets, which they had seen them do so often in Bollywood films!  

Today’s Indian Media landscape is largely dominated by the electronic media which has the power to swing people’s opinion. They also garner the largest pie in the overall ad-spend. Over the years, following the path towards true Indianness, they have evolved and gone even beyond news – they also provide entertainment. Newstainment! News with full entertainment! For them, and for the public as per their logic, pure news is plain and boring. The argument proffered is that they have to do so in order to remain viable in a cut-throat competitive environment. And they seem to be contented with their unique way of presenting news which borders on trivializing the concept and the profession of journalism in many instances.

Well, to clarify, if i have to watch television for news on India i view only the English news channels but i have flipped through various Hindi and regional news channels out of curiosity and have been dismayed at the standard of their telecast. Not that their English counterparts don’t require sincere introspection for improvement.

India, with its global aspirations, and the capabilities, cannot be seen as having a Media which is below the international standards. Exception, i reiterate, to a great degree is the English language Media in both the formats – print and electronic.

As the English language press defines the Indian Media, therefore, it needs to set benchmark for the rest of the fraternity. Simultaneously, India is waiting to see them claim their place on the global platform.

I start with the English newspapers. Times of India has the largest readership in the world; however, it is not even on the horizon when global dailies are discussed. The other newspapers also have to pull themselves up and modify their reportage so as to remain contemporary but first and foremost credible – and relevant - from the international perspective.

A foreign colleague had remarked a few years ago seeing the semi-porn texture of a newspaper supplement: ‘Are Indians so frustrated sexually?’... Each of the publications needs to read the legendary New York Times and Washington Post, to name a few, to understand what i am referring to.

Now coming to the English news channels, i credit Prannoy Roy with reshaping the Indian Media and giving us a credible alternative medium to get news and current affairs information other than the Doordarshan, seemingly government’s mouthpiece. I also thank him for giving India its beloved news anchors! Including Dr. Roy himself, whether it is Barkha Dutt or Rajdeep Sardesai or Arnab Goswami, we haven’t seen anybody better than them so far in the newer generation television journalists. In this case too, the situation is akin to Bollywood where we haven’t yet got the comparable replacements to the holy quartet of Mangeshkar Sisters Lata and Asha, Md. Rafi and Kishore Kumar in singing!

Not to forget, emphasis on producing international standard news programs got initiated with Karan Thapar coming back to India and soon he floored – literally, just ask his guests on his shows – the entire nation with his intelligent, incisive and interrogative interviews! Vir Sanghvi is another very good television journalist that we had till recently. However, today both have almost receded into the background comparatively but their contributions cannot ever be forgotten in improving the news coverage and analysis in India.

These anchors are par excellence and are comparable to any international repute newsperson of the world! Honestly, in certain aspects i find them better than anybody in the global news business. Each one of them has their individuality and tremendous qualities and contributions towards the evolution of the Indian Media.

Prannoy Roy is the pioneer in the field of the Indian television news channels! His stupendous success with NDTV 24x7 propelled the fast expansion of the industry. He retains his charm as a newsperson but his style is more suited currently for serious yet leisurely discussions with statesmen and leaders in various fields. His legacy is being carry forwarded properly by his prodigies.

Barkha Dutt is true blood international in her talent! Her command over language and style of delivery is better than even the internationally established anchors on the iconic channels like BBC and CNN. She looks original in her attitude and attire. Not easy for any new news anchor to copy her. ‘We The People’ has remained popular solely because of her. And she is the face of NDTV, besides Dr. Roy.

Rajdeep Sardesai is the original angry young man of the Indian Television Industry! When he announced his leaving the NDTV, every Indian viewer felt a void as to who would moderate the ‘Big Fight’ now. He has a perfect blend of aggression and poise and is many viewers’ choice for a television news anchor. His acumen and sensibilities made him establish his new channel CNN-IBN and soon overtook his professional alma-mater.

Arnab Goswami, the most famous and the most feared television personality in our nation! He has singlehandedly redefined the news scenario in India ever since he moved to and started Times Now. Seeing the channel’s terrific success overshadowing the media giants’ like NDTV and CNN-IBN in a short span of two years and sustaining it for five years now proves one thing: Prannoy Roy could not assess his true potential. Arnab invented a new style of news presentation: he mixed it with high voltage debates! And the unprecedented popularity of his ‘The Newshour’ forced the entire industry to follow suit. He made people realize that news was not only for viewing as-it-had-happened but for dissecting and analysing and making people concerned answerable, and the perpetrators punished. His sheer courage is infectious! And his impact is immeasurable! ‘The Nation demands an answer!’ has become his tagline. He has a large fan following among the English news viewers and even the non-viewers regard his value.

Newshour has one more distinction: its hugely popular debates now having become a standard format for news on all channels have nurtured the breeds of so-called spokespersons and activists! (How i resent these omnipresent ever-visible creatures! If i had little bit power, i would mute their voices and blurr their faces! And how their purely predictable line of arguments has forced me to curtail my news – and Newshour – viewing drastically...)

Among the other English news channels, Rahul Kunwal in Headlines Today is doing a good job and is getting better gradually. Rest are almost non-existent. And the rest of the non-English channels are pure imitators and most are pathetic.

What emerges out of this brief review is that a news channel mirrors the personality of its editor-in-chief and both become synonymous over a period of time. And, as the news industry is spearheaded by the English news channels, so is the latter performing as per the nation’s expectation? Well, yes and no.

YES, because the Indian Media has effectively discharged it role as the fourth estate and we have seen certain changes taking place in various field in our country: a few powerful but criminal politicians and others being sent to jail; a few scamsters being punished; a few victims getting the much denied justice; ...

And, NO, because the Indian Media hasn’t discharged its ‘fourth estate’ duties to the fullest as it hasn’t taken up its nationally critical international responsibilities seriously. Its vision has been narrow and it has failed to look beyond our geographical boundaries. Once in a while we do witness a few debates dedicated to Indo-Pak relationship but nothing more. Howsoever significant events could be happening anywhere in the world, our media limits its coverage to internal matters only, some of which could be genuinely important but mostly are the usual ones. 

One more sincere suggestion: they should allot debating time depending on gravity of news item; all news broadcasts cannot – and should not – be treated in the same manner.

The Indian Media has to break its self-created cocoon and spread its influence worldwide. When India gets discussed, its media should get mentioned in the same breath. And when the voice of one fifth of global population gets heard by the world, it should reverberate! Our media should be able to shape global opinions and chisel geopolitical changes. When India’s media commentators like Arnab or Rajdeep or Barkha or Prannoy speaks, the world should sit up and listen. When TOI or HT or Hindu writes or reports, the targeted subject should get shaken up. And through them India should be able to project itself more comprehensively on the global canvas.

We have many Indians now become household names globally; it’s time the Indian Media added a few names to the list.

Our English news network with its highly accomplished anchors has the potential to break into the big league of BBC and CNN. Al-Jazeera from the Arab world has achieved this feat in a small time with its quality international journalism. I have no doubt whatsoever about the success of the Indian Media – all languages, both electronic and print – in the global arena. After all, the fourth pillar of the world’s largest and the most populous democracy should have – and has – the power to stand firmly and reshape the global news sphere.

Frankly speaking, i certainly do not mean to say that the world media is perfect in all aspects. They too need to introspect and review their own style of functioning so as to make a greater impact on various governments and global happenings. One case in point: with the amount of air time spent on covering Africa by both BBC and CNN, the Continent could have come in the forefront of the world affairs by now, which sadly hasn’t happened. 

Honestly, the international media – including Indian Media – could amalgamate the best aspects of all the players and remodel its reportage on current affairs. ... Who knows soon the world will watch debates as a regular style of news presentation ... and Bollywood type songs and dances could become a routine in Hollywood ... ;)  

Egypt "Live" : March like an Egyptian ...

No astrologer could have “predicted” that 2011 was destined to be the Year of Revolution! Of Change! The uprising – “Jasmine Revolution” - which started in Tunisia in late Dec’10, has spread far and wide and is slated to be the watershed in world politics. After ousting Ben Ali from his 23 years of unopposed iron fisted rule over Tunisians, Egyptians Revolution is the most courageous manifestation of people’s power and desire for democracy: liberty and dignity in life!

2 weeks have passed since the protests erupted on the streets of Cairo and got congregated to the central part of the city that is Tahrir Square but the determination of the people of Egypt has remains undiminished. Their sustenance of energy and enthusiasm amidst strong government erected barriers – figuratively and actually – is a testimony to the burning desire of Egyptians to comprehensively reject autocratic form of governance practiced by a firmly established Hosni Mubarak. To watch Mubarak cling to his presidency in face of massive public outcry is almost pitiable. He has to realize fast that he will not be able to withstand the winds of change blowing in Egypt. He will have to go. It is only a matter of days. No amount of manipulations – his last straw - in the name of the so-called “orderly transition” will ‘fool’ Egyptians anymore. Hosni Mubarak will have to go. Period.

Egyptians’ “Million Man March” – March of Million - to Tahrir Square marked the reinforcement of Mahatma Gandhi’s universally applicable – and still relevant - peaceful principles towards pursuit of freedom. This also marked a new beginning in rewriting global politics especially in the Arab and African parts of the globe. All the ongoing revolts narrate the same story for and of Change. The challenge is to keep “marching”.

To the people of the world, I say: If you need a life of liberty and dignity, then, march like an Egyptian! …

And, to Hosni Mubarak and all the autocrats of the world, I say: Go, go, go …

………………….

The entire world is focused on the unfolding events in Egypt and elsewhere. The global media – BBC, CNN and ABC in particular – has played an incredible role in taking the boiling revolution to billions’ household! “History-in-making” is being watched “live” which is unprecedented! The “history-in-making” is also in making the whole world unite as world citizens! …

MSD and Hounds of Mediavilles

(My younger sister is a big fan of Mahender Singh Dhoni and she has him on “Google alert”. She forwarded me the necessary links on Media coverage of MSD’s marriage based on which I am making my opinion here. Also, out of curiosity I made special efforts to watch some of that drama on various channels. Otherwise, I completely stay away from Hindi news channels. Though I understand a couple of regional languages but I don’t torture myself by watching any of them.)

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Even if – I’m simply making an assumption here - MSD hasn’t read Sherlock Holmes’ spy adventure in Baskervilles, yet he would have easily identified the surrounding hounds of Mediavilles during his marriage! In those “Doon” days the Indian paparazzi phenomenon acquired a new proportion the face of which was pretty ugly. Thankfully the English News channels (I vouch for Times Now, NDTV and CNN-IBN only) maintained their balance otherwise the Hindi ones resembled one big consortium all out on a big game safari! Not that the print was any far behind in the crazy game! And, crazy it was - to use a mild expression!

MSD “faulted” in wanting to have some peaceful and personal moments with his immediate family and close friends during his marriage. Media’s “fault” was it could not digest the fact that in today’s 24x7 news environment it had to lose out on “live” coverage of a “big ticket” event like marriage of the Indian cricket team’s captain. After all, Media is used to getting all-details-provided “special invites” to such celebrities’ weddings.

The funniest part – which was not funny at all - of the whole drama during MSD’s marriage days was the erroneous reporting being indulged into by the Media. Every reporter seemed to have manufactured on-the-spot his or her own version of MSD-Sakshi love story – their childhood, their meeting, their dating and their marriage – their life in totality. Nobody seemed to have any knowledge about most of the things. Still every channel was trying to outdo others by resorting to never-seen-before tactics on television. The “surround scribes effect” was quite hilarious!

I am sure no other “Breaking News” – the “real” ones of big magnitude - would have succeeded in “Breaking” the series of “Breaking News” on MSD’s marriage rituals. The “accuracy” of ritual timings being flashed – ‘broken’ – on the television screen gave an impression as if one was witnessing Olympics sporting events! So what if every channel had a different timing for the same ritual! Every channel was claiming precision of the timings as if they were being fed with updated tweets by MSD himself!

But the biggest problem I had with Media’s “intrusive” journalism – at its worst, I must say! – in those “Doon” days was the “divisive” reportage they had adopted plainly out of revenge. The Media was unabashedly trying to forge a permanent divide between MSD and his team members – all those “unfortunate” and “uninvited” ones. Media’s “divide & rule” policy was certainly unpardonable. The arrogance of the Media was repulsive.

Also laughable was the “response” of a few cricketers to Media’s bait i.e. provocative questioning – Gautam Gambhir in particular. Sadly, though our national cricket team members are exposed to the international sporting ambience, they are yet to graduate to being truly international – global – in their attitude. They are yet to break free from their “Indian” mentality – of being Deewana in Begani shaadi!

Our esteemed cricketers and the esteemed Media need to be made to understand the difference between “personal” and “professional” aspects of one’s life, even if it involves a fellow cricketer or a celebrity. They also need to be regularly updated on the international stature personalities’ weddings: that how those are held, who all are invited and “not” invited, and how the rest of the world – Media included – reacts to a particular occasion.

In fact, today is a big learning day for our Media, and cricketers: The only daughter of the ex-president of the United States of America is getting married. And not every president/prime minister – ex-/current – of all countries, UN officials included, and every diplomat he probably shook hands with on this earth has been invited for Chelsea’s marriage; the entire bunch of current US senators perhaps has also not been invited. And, all hell is not going to break loose on Bill and Hillary Clinton for keeping their daughter’s wedding a private affair and away from the prying eyes of the omnipresent Media.

Even if the western media paparazzi is quite infamous for their extreme brand of “intrusive” journalism, by tomorrow morning the world will know that the “reaction” of the world Media hasn’t been over-the-board even if they were not invited in full numbers: in contrast to the Indian Media’s outrage and outrageous behaviour during and post MSD’s marriage.

In conclusion: Even though the Indian news market and thus the news channels (I have same advice for the print media) have evolved but in numbers only; the Indian Media has to evolve in its conduct as well: from being “hounds” to “humble and sensible”.

Till then: MSD, you did the right thing by keeping the intrusive elements out of your personal celebrations. You are a “public” figure but you are fully entitled to a “private” life and your “personal” life is nobody’s business. Hopefully other celebrities will learn from you. … Congratulations, to you and Sakshi :)

Bhopal Gas Tragedy -----------

I confess: I really don’t know how to title my piece because that is what the lives of the people who survived or lost their loved ones on that fateful night of 2-3 Dec’84 look like: blank, absolutely.

And so is India – blank – even 26 years post that fateful night.

Today, the courts tried to fill in that “blank” with whatever paltry of everything they were left with: justice, sympathy, sentencing, verdict, penalty, punishment … all in miniscule proportion when compared to the scale of the tragedy. The so-called compensation which the victims got earlier was even paltrier in comparison.

Rs. 25,000 penalty and 2 years jail for 20,000 deaths! The mathematics is mindboggling! Hardly a rupee for every life lost? Not even a night in prison for every life extinguished forever?

To add insult to injury: all convicts were granted bail immediately after the sentencing!

If it is not an absolute mockery of justice, then what is it? How could the judiciary be so cruel in delivering? How could the government act so insensitive? It is a classic case where all four pillars of the Indian establishment failed miserably, Media included. (I wonder if any other news channel other than the Times Now – Arnab Goswami – had the courage to accept its own inadequacies in covering this monumental disaster. Though, honestly, Rajdeep Sardesai was equally effective and passionate in debating and bringing this horrible story to all of us on CNN-IBN.)

I vividly remember the morning of 3^rd December 1984 when my father had switched on the television for me to note down the “Today’s News” for school assembly and subsequently to be put on notice board for students' perusal. Even when I was - as always - in a hurry to catch my school bus and was, thus, furiously noting down the important “headlines” - that day TV had only one - I found myself freeze with pain seeing some of the horrible visuals of victims. And when Rajiv Gandhi, the prime minister, came to share his grief with the nation, I simply went into a paralytic state. Whatever I was watching was simply nightmarish!

In those days there was the Doordarshan solely to share the happenings – news – from India and all around the world. And I as a child had only a year ago got "really" interested in current affairs; my “transformation” was all thanks to the fervour surrounding the Cricket World Cup in 1983 which we won to the nation’s huge delight! Then came the assassination of Indira Gandhi and India got its youngest ever prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. As you must have guessed by my tone, I became Rajiv uncle’s “fan-at-first-sight”! I was – still am – such an ardent admirer of him that I used to maintain a “news diary” for noting down his day-to-day movements and activities as the PM. It was this habit which got me deeply involved with the details of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy even at that young age. Union Carbide, Methyl Isocyanide became the scare words.

Twenty six years have passed by since then. India has seen many governments go by at the Center and the State but no one – I repeat, absolutely no government or the party – ever showed enough eagerness or seriousness to bring the perpetrators to the books. Rather the entire Indian government machinery went into collusion, manipulating the process and the progress of the case to suit the interests of the irresponsible corporate and its officials – so much so that the case against the UCIL was dropped only a couple of years later; the CEO was allowed to leave the country; the firm was permitted to sell off its Indian business; the number of dead and survivors were grossly under reported in order to reduce the compensation burden on the culprit company, … . It is a sad tale of comprehensive corporate negligence and criminal connivance by the Indian establishment and the Union Carbide, reflecting complete disregard for all “non-privileged” Indians, living or dead!

If only a similar tragedy would have happened in the Unites States of America, can we even imagine how much in compensation the company would have had to pay? Union Carbide would have gone bankrupt long ago! And, of course, Warren Anderson, its CEO would not have remained absconding! The US would have ensured his extradition from any part of the world he had hid into! … (Barack Obama has already ordered a criminal probe in BP’s recent failure to contain oil spill. And believe me, it will not take forever for the findings to come out and verdict be delivered.)

Let’s accept the fact: India has failed one and all - in dealing with the aftermaths of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Perhaps willfully; simply to appease the US investors. … Shameful; Disgusting; Nauseating; to say the least.

The saddest part of the story is that in those days India had only the government controlled Doordarshan which most of the times sounded like party-in-power’s mouthpiece. Thus, the truth and ground realities were distorted at will in this tragic case of worst industrial disaster. Moreover, in this case too, with passage of time, other “big news” items caught up with populace’s imagination and the story of the Bhopal Gas victims almost got erased from the collective conscience of the country.

I am sure that if only the Indian newscape had numerous news channels like today, the sheer competition to stay ahead with “Breaking News” in TRP race would have ensured justice for victims and adequate punishment for culprits. And the case too would not have dragged – that too only to its half conclusion – for 26 long years!

Nevertheless, what is immensely baffling is the fact that in today’s scenario with inevitable intense Media scrutiny, the Indian systems – including the Judiciary – could dare to display an absolute insensitive attitude with its joke-like justice. Probably the courts misjudged the Media reaction completely; they perhaps thought that in an “old” and “not-so-interesting” case, Media will not take much interest – as it had not shown much concern earlier ever.

If you find it hard to believe, just recollect the Media hysteria around Medha Patkar’s one-of-numerous attempts at fast-unto-death at the Jantar Mantar only a couple of years ago. Aamir Khan was in Delhi – strategically? – and wished to visit her to persuade her to end the fast. By mistake he entered the protest camp just opposite the Patkar’s but left immediately realizing his folly. The Activists in the “opposite camp” were the representatives for Bhopal Gas victims and their efforts was sans any Media glare unlike Patkar’s drama just across the road!

Therefore, today, the Media which takes enormous pride in its Activisms cannot absolve itself of its responsibilities as a social “watchdog”. It too needs to introspect. The only appreciable thing about it in this case is its “belated” initiatives post courts’ disastrous verdict today, which I still believe has the potential to force all concerned to act accountably from now on.

But in all fairness, it is not the Media but the various arms of the Indian establishment which are primarily accountable for ensuring appropriate justice for victims and sufficient sentence for accused.

Nonetheless, the Media will once again have to take up the case of Bhopal Gas victims with enough seriousness and sincerity that it manifested in myriad cases: from Jessica to Ruchika. … Media is increasingly becoming the last straw in almost all cases in India of today. Not a healthy sign. But till we witness social and political revolution, the Media will have to keep up its good work to keep India functioning. And India is proud of its Media.

Hopefully, the victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy will see a "closure" soon with adequate justice delivered