Press and Media Control

Bollywood Crimes

Padmini Arhant

The freedom of press traditionally considered important to keep democracy alive. When the press and media are maintained as propaganda tool to hurl incendiary remarks, baseless concoctions and distortions of facts and truth, the situation represents the demise of democracy in any society.

The forces reining control over global system using communication outlets predominantly to defend indefensible actions by circulating fake news, creating fictitious identities and collusion on mass deception to retain status quo. However, the inevitable decline of anything fundamentally flawed and fraudulent could never be averted and proved time and time again.

The problem is the elements behind delusional aspirations and portrayals live in denial despite events unfolding to the contrary. These entities have difficulty dealing with challenges and utilize anything at disposal regardless of self destructive outcome.

When press and media become the platform for subversion along with entertainment industry serving as major distraction, the smoke thickens and opaque the smoke screen facilitating devious and diabolical agenda much to self-detriment. Not surprisingly, the aversion for transparency and sprite especially in the application of law across the spectrum is apparent among the self asserted privileged society.

Though the practice and tactics are pervasive considering the international clique directions to representatives and agents in any capacity all around, certain groups in this context surpass others in the art of sycophancy ignoring the embarrassment that accompanies such trait. The condescendence and obsessions with smear attacks on personal level rather than confining to substance on relevant issues clarify the lack of professionalism and journalistic standard at the lowest ebb among leading news organizations and dailies that are conspicuously struggling for survival.

Then there are events related to celebrities in the entertainment industry in India. The name Bollywood rhyming with Hollywood confirm the convention to imitate and forge anything and everything to own advantage.  The concept of originality not even accidentally existing in film making besides among those heralded as Superstars and Divas explain the hype and hysteria prevalent in the superficial domain. When the opportunity in the celluloid screen diminish, these entities often promoted as larger than life enter politics for publicity and political immunity. The illegal wealth, tax evasions not barring other criminal activities among them being a common factor, the attraction between politics and entertainment industry cannot be slighted.

As such film personalities are lured by various political factions in the so-called world’s largest democracy enabling the affluent to dominate political, economic and social system to rule over staggering population in the categories ranging from middle class to lower income and then the poor as well those in abject poverty.

The star syndrome and above that the Superstar and megastar titles carry enormous clout and stardom allowing them to get away with crimes including murder that are ordinarily punishable by law with maximum jail sentence and other judicial requirements. The fact movie stars like Salman Khan convicted of crimes in the hit and run drunken driving resulting in manslaughter and poaching endangered species viz. the blackbucks or the antelope as pass time sport brought to legal attention barely stand a chance for the victims given the star power rallying behind the defendant claiming harsh treatment of the movie star bailed out within two nights of the verdict in the trial court.

What needs to be understood in the latest legal episode of the Bollywood Actor Salman Khan conviction which happens to be the fourth or the fifth in terms of serious crimes and violations is the rules that would normally be enforced on ordinary citizens in letting visitors meet with the convicted individual usually not until 15 days following the verdict were relaxed to accommodate other Bollywood actresses to convey their support in person. This is just one example among other concessions. 

The Bollywood actors turned politicians like Jaya Bachchan expressing concern over the financial stake for Bollywood featuring the actor Salman Khan and that the actor not deserving any sentencing regardless of loss of lives in separate incidents pertaining to the father of a poor family killed in the drunken driving in Mumbai and the other related to the rare blackbucks shooting in Jodhpur, Rajasthan clearly indicate the priority for them with no respect for others lives except their own based on the celebrity status is beneath human nature.

This is not the first time Bollywood discounting average citizens lives as nothing more than casualties that speaks volume on apathy for others lives in the glamor and glitz oriented industry. Not long ago yet another Bollywood female actor Hema Malini who is also a member of Parliament representing the ruling BJP ironically in the lower house has been involved in a car accident due to excess speed at the actress behest that produced a fatality of a three years old child together with her family having sustained critical injuries left on the highway to fend for themselves again highlights the degenerative character.

These flagrant distinctions in society where the high profile members in politics, entertainment and economic sector granted exceptional protection on crimes is a setback for democracy and progress in society.

Does this mean the average citizens and other species killings by celebrities are to be written off as unfortunate incidents and respectfully welcome the objections and raucous from Bollywood against appropriate judicial process?

In another empathetic message from Pakistani actress towards the Bollywood actor Salman Khan citing there are NO human rights in the world and criticizing the legal course against the actor over an animal shooting amplifies the level of compassion or the lack thereof amongst celebrities towards people and other species not necessarily regarded worthy of respective rights. 

The fault remains with acceptance among population to such trends where the public responsible for making anyone a celebrity are forced to be silent victims of celebrity conduct carried out as prerogative and deaths are symbolic and memorialized only when they are a celebrity not otherwise.

Any society premised on fairness and equality would strive for justice without heeding to celebrity and political power to prevent repeat offense and underlying discriminations in treating crimes by the rich and famous.

Padmini Arhant

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