PIYUSH ROY
Simran’s tanking has put Kangana on weaker footing. It is advantage Hrithik, in the latest turn in their bout. She is predictably silent. She had blown her last trumpet with extra noise when her acting stars shined brighter post the success of Tanu Weds Manu Returns
A national level English news channel on its weekend primetime slot recently hosted an interview with Hrithik Roshan. It was supposed to be another ‘exclusive’ take on ‘another round of clarifications’ on an ‘alleged affair’ that has been courting national level headlines in the media engagement calendar of its title protagonists for few years now. The interview was being repeatedly advertised as a highlight on one of the channel’s most watched series – The Nation Wants to Know!
On the firing side happened to be one of India’s most aggressive and abrasive editors known for his no-holds-barred grilling of guests with doubtful back stories.
So, I too, along with the nation joined in to figure out what more could be revealed about a done to death and conveniently revived case of accusations and counter accusations involving two mature adults, behaving like heartbroken teenagers in a private game of truth and dare gone public.
Arnab Goswami’s near two-hour-long interview with Hrithik Roshan was perhaps the most laborious, repetitive and ‘intimidated by a celebrity’ journalist-interview I had seen in recent times. A long and boring drawing room chat,between two tense looking people – extremely guarded and barely comfortable or interested in each other, tenuously trying to just go on and on, as if for a third party’s need. Normally TV interviews, even the best and the high-profile, never exceed an hour unless something of profound significance of national level impact is being revealed. Even the explanatory demonetisation and GST justifications have been far shorter.
I swapped the channel when even after 45 minutes there wasn’t a single revelation on something we didn’t know. I returned after another 45 minutes to find the interview still carrying on, eclipsing a time slot exclusively reserved for daily news of national significance.
Only pravachans go on uninterrupted on religious channels with flexible upper limits. One cannot abruptly end a flow of complex thoughts of spiritual significance. To be fair, Hrithik did give a one-sided pravachanlike interview explaining how he was maintaining his equanimity amidst all provocation, trying to be his best, restrained self,and still so respectful of the ‘lady’ in question that he wouldn’t even name her!
For a chat, whose very premise was to prove Kangana to be a liar and mentally unstable, why put up the sham of being a knight in shining armour, still?
More importantly, why did the interviewer put up with the put-on act and not ask that one obviousquestion as to why this Hrithik-Kangana story keeps surfacing like a bad formula every time a film of theirs is about to release or begin its shoot?
Those aware of the workings of the film PR (Public Relations) machinery, will know that though sad and increasingly unimaginative, this is a rehearsed promotion play. Do the actors in question have nothing of merit in their works to be able to sustain interest or generate a conversation?
Still, the editor-in-chief of a news channel walks in to a PR trap to resuscitate the falling appeal of a failing star. Well, it may not have been his fault completely – but then why expose oneself thus with a masterclass on how to do a bad interview. Especially, when Mr. Goswami has gone hammer-and-tongs against some veteran politicos. But that’s his beat – the Political.
Anyone who’s been through the fundamentals of journalism studies will be aware of a term called – the beat. In journalism schools, students are taught aboutnews gathering, reporting and writing skills across genres. Expertise,they however pick on the ground through years of diligent nose-to-the-ground reporting, developing contacts and most importantly, learning the tricks about how to spot the truth beneath the PR camouflage. The ends are the same, the means vary from beat to beat. What works in a more answerable-to-the-public, political beat may not always work in a privacy prioritisingpersonality driven beat like the film industry.
Another national level political news editor interviewed Roshan two days later and fell for a similar script. So desperate was that interview for some revelations that it even highlighted Roshan’s real e-mail id as a breaking news headline.
Why didn’t these editors allow their entertainment journalists to do the interviews instead? Being an editor in one of the most popular and influential film industry magazines, I have seen how in recent times even senior most journalists are having to agree to a PR reviewed questionnaire for the promise of access to a superstar – ‘You can nudge, but probing uncomfortable matters is totally out of question’.
Wish our celebrity journalists had negotiated for a little more tough talking from their no less vantage profile spaces for a no-holds barred probe.
As regards the nation’s‘curiosity’ – I think it desperatelywants to know when this repeating record of reputation slurs will stop playing, finally. Both, the hero and the heroine’s last acts were the biggest flops in their careers –critically and commercially. Simran’s tanking has put Kangana on weaker footing. It is advantage Hrithik, in the latest turn in their bout. She is predictably silent. She had blown her last trumpet with extra noise when her acting stars shined brighter post the success of Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Hrithik had then kept quiet having hit a low note post the Mohenjodaro bombing.
Get over it guys… These things happen! You are not the first, neither will you be the last to experience some labours of love gone sour. Learn from your seniors on the dignity of silence.
Public memory is short. They will forget all this around your next release if the work is good.
Public appreciation is longer. Let the next bout of histrionics be on-screen this time.
As regards the media,why shy from asking tough questions? A star is not doing a favour by giving an interview. It is part of his/her survival agenda in a crowded media space where out-of-sight can easily become out-of-mind. Those who don’t have anything to hide will give a compelling interview. Those with feet of clay will anyways hide from an uncompromising media.
