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| Edited By: Sarita A Tanwar |Source: DNA |Updated: Jun 05, 2017, 12:40 PM IST
Jesus said, “Ask and thou shalt receive.” I could be wrong, but I doubt he was talking to journalists or he meant, “Ask (questions) and they (answers) will be given to you.” Which is why I want to tell my fellow journalists to calm the f**k down and stop acting like the Taliban.
It’s our job to ask questions. Exercise the right to ask tough and awkward questions. But it’s up to the interviewee to answer. He/she is not bound to answer. It’s a choice. We cannot force or bully an reaction out of them. A few months ago, a senior journalist asked Sushant Singh Rajput not to sidestep a question of “national interest” at a film event. He tried to explain that he didn’t know enough facts to answer that query, so he would rather not comment. When she persisted, he lost his cool and raised his voice.
Soon, they were trying to out-shout each other. He came across as rude when he got personal with her. He was sitting and talking down to an older woman from his perch on the stage. It became ugly. All he had to do was stick to his statement, ‘I don’t know enough about this to comment on this’ and leave it at that. And she had to accept his answer. Even if it had been “no comment.”
We have to accept that while we, as reporters, may want a certain answer to make an interesting headline or sound byte, an actor is under no obligation to provide that. A journalist can’t take offence to a reply because it is not what he/she wants to hear. This is the Arnab-isation of journalism. Because one guy became famous by becoming a bully, doesn’t mean we all turn into mini Goswa’mi’. Last week, Amitabh Bachchan was asked to comment on the hot topic of debate among those with the IQ of a goat — the length of Priyanka Chopra’s skirt at a meeting with the PM Narendra Modi.
Big B said, “I am neither the PM nor Priyanka Chopra. How can I answer, then?” Sahi jawaab, I say. First of all, why is what Priyanka wore even a topic of discussion? “Oh, because she was trolled for it?” So, now we are paying attention to what trolls are saying and demanding explanations from celebrities based on that? Secondly, if at all this question had to asked, it should be addressed to the two people involved — PC or NaMo. Or the fashion police. Or Sonam Kapoor. Why should Bachchan Sr give his take on it?
The senior actor was labelled a pseudo-feminist for not speaking up. Why does it have to boil down to his words? Look at what his daughter Shweta, daughter-in-law Aishwarya, and grand-daughter Navya wear to red carpets and at events. There is your answer. All I have to say to those offended by his silence — please find something better to rage about. Take your pick from global warming, dowry deaths, female infanticide, tax on sanitary napkins, etc.
I have never understood why we expect actors to comment on whatever is happening in the country. The argument is: As celebrities, they have the power to make a difference, so it is their duty to do so. Let’s get real: Where is the power? They are all living in fear. They have to think 500 times before speaking a word. Because they are booed and banned for saying things that you and I get away with saying in public and on social media. Freedom of speech is a luxury that actors and filmmakers can’t afford.
Karan Johar had to put out a video message to prove that he was patriotic. Recently, Kajol hastily released a press statement, explaining that at lunch, she had buffalo meat and not beef. Aamir Khan apologised for Kiran’s words of feeling unsafe in her own country. Shah Rukh Khan had to explain on several platforms what he meant when he spoke about intolerance in our country.
They have now become smarter. They sidestep queries that could land them in trouble. It’s called survival. They have learnt to keep their opinions to themselves. Don’t rue the lack of freedom of speech. As Shah Rukh Khan famously said, “Freedom of speech also means the right to keep silent.”
