Email
Print
ShareHe is a shadowy figure who is the most written about personality in today's journalism of trivial pursuits. Whether it's a sexy starlet wanting to announce that she's managed to entice an NRI 'friend' with a bank balance big enough to gift her a Gucci bag, or a desperate actor who wants to stay in the news by spreading stories about his dalliance with a top heroine, the story is always leaked by this enigma who stalks the fourth estate. They call him the 'source'!
In these days of entertainment overdose, the 'source' is the most abused word in English after 'sorry'. He appears on almost every inch of newsprint devoted to Bollywood and tellyland. Each time an actor, actress, writer or director feels the need to leak out any information, without having fingers pointed at them, they seek help from 'the source'.And most often they become 'the source'!
In other words, 'the source' and 'the subject' of a story are usually the same. With the common populace showing a voracious appetite for silly stuff, journalists too rely heavily on 'the source'.
Let me explain. Suppose you're an actress, who wants to show the world that in your hot body there is a generous heart ticking.
This is best achieved by donating a few lakhs to a charitable institution and then calling up your PR agent or your favourite reporter and requesting them to subtly 'spread the word'. The PR agent, who gets paid for making you look good despite your affairs galore, and the journalist, who is at his wit's end to churn out filmy gupshup on a daily basis, spring into action.
And voila! The next day the world reads about this angel with a 36-24-36 configuration and a heart of gold, while you hope that this latest gimmick to stay in the spotlight at least gets you noticed by the right people--which could include a director with a plum role or a potential boyfriend with a business empire.
As for the reader, he hardly notices that the story has only two quotes--one from 'the source', who reveals the whole story, and other from 'the subject', who sounds aghast at her charitable deed having leaked out to the press!
Thus everyday the mysterious, unnamed 'source' reveals about the casting coups, surprise birthday gifts, brawls at parties, link-ups, break-ups and Hollywood offers amidst the denizens of our tinsel town.
