Sue me. I'm Famous!

As soon as the word of Nepal earthquake hit the news, the entertainment business, as always, galvanised into action. Celebrities tweeted rescue information, spread the word about rehabilitation helplines besides generously donating to the relief work. A-list stars took to Twitter and urged their followers to chip in to the fundraising. It was not the first time. For several decades now the film industry has lent a helping hand during calamities – be it floods, earthquakes, communal clashes – and has used its popularity and strength to get people to support various causes. Since cricket and Bollywood are two most popular platforms, it's no secret that everyone who seeks a message to be spread quickly enlists the support of Bollywood. Archival pictures show actors from the '50s and '60s like Sunil Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra, Nargis etc, making road trips in open trucks collecting money for calamities that befell within the country. It is also well known that even in the most divisive times, the film industry is perhaps the only place where discrimination has always been at its minimal. You could be from any caste, creed, gender, religion and social strata your work (and success) is all that counts for people here.

And yet, in a nation where 'being offended' is an ailment, 'being offended by films and film people' is almost an epidemic. Anyone can take offence to any line, gesture or outfit and can file a case spending a few thousand rupees to hold or stay the release of a film that has spent several crores to be made. Politicians and self-styled gurus can continue to make sexist, racist and juvenile comments but dare a film personality slip there is furore and barrage of court cases. Not to mention these can be filed anywhere in the country which means the film personalities have to attend hearings in far off corners no matter how ridiculous the allegations are. I have travelled with a few film stars and filmmakers to remote places where the magistrates hearing the cases looked sheepish and more star struck than the crowds gathered outside these courts. What is amazing is that in all these years where cases have been filed for 'obscene' outfits, 'objectionable' choreography, 'provocative' posters or 'offensive' lyrics, I don't remember a single allegation that has stuck. It just seems to give the litigant (and lawyers) their temporary moments under the spotlight. The cases have only served as nuisance value and more often than not, a sensible judge has thrown them out. It would not be wrong to say that in the mad scramble by people for their fifteen minutes of fame, the truly famous pay the price!