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Under the glamour glare
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The role of media comes under the scanner
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It was yet another case of a young couple who married without the consent of their parents or hesitated to inform them before hand for the fear of disapproval.
But the news and visuals became the mainstay of the electronic media channels as the girl is the daughter of Telugu mega star Chiranjeevi with tremendous fan following all over the State and outside. The couple, both majors, went on record about their marriage along with video clippings of their ‘Arya Samaj’ wedding.
The ‘Breaking news’ obviously created expected sensation. While some viewers were shocked that the incident occurred in the family of a celebrity, fans felt sorry that their idol’s reputation may take a blemish and some others eagerly waited for the response of the celebrity family to unfold.
In the midst of varied reactions the ‘wedding’ evoked among those watching the visuals and hearing the sound bytes of the newly married couple who declared their intention of seeking the blessings of their parents, the question of media probity came to the fore again. Is the media overstepping its boundaries and trespassing into the personal and private lives of celebrities with its speculation, assumptions and perceptions and even judging them for the choices of their children?
Analysing the situation, psychologist and senior fellow, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Vindhya Undurthi says one should look from what angle the uncalled for media inquisitiveness is all about. Celebrities are also normal human beings and have their own human fragilities.
Two majors, marrying out of their choice is not illegal or criminal act. While one may have all the freedom to scrutinise and criticise the celebrity pertaining to the performance in his field for instance his films, probing into his family affairs and making it a public issue is not proper. One can’t hold a celebrity accountable for so called ‘violation of social norms’ by his or her family members.
Several youngsters marry as per their own choice and without informing parents. So are the children of celebrities. One should keep in mind that public may idolise and hold celebrities in awe but at home for children they are normal parents. What happens in families of ordinary families can very much happen in celebrities’ families too, she says. Kishore, a senior executive in an MNC feels public looks upon celebrities as role models. This exerts a kind of pressure on them to live up to people’s expectations in their personal and public life. Unwanted media focus in their personal affairs thus makes it more difficult for celebrities to cope with so called unconventional situations compared to normal people. They should be given their space to deal with such situations away from the public glare.
M.L. MELLY MAITREYI
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