On the media circus surrounding his visit to the Taj after the terrorist attacks, RGV writes–
I find it shocking that in the wake of such a terrible incidents happening in the country, the media can waste so much time and telecast hours and subject the people of the country to something as inane as some filmmaker’s presence at a place which for the life of me I can’t understand how it can affect anybody or anything in comparison to what else is going on.
Media makes us believe, not necessarily by intent, that only they have the interest of people in their hearts, and due to that people tend to believe in them blindly. This is a classic example of the blind leading the blind. Outcome of this can be many times ridiculous. As per some Media peoples suggestions even if remotely this episode can affect a Government’s standing, I find that almost as dangerous as terrorism.
If people who attack the unarmed are defined as terrorists then Media at various levels with their coercive methods and insinuations are very similar. A terrorist attacks the mind and kills the body, the media attacks the mind with its interpretations and kills a person’s spirit with its insinuations. In a way I would say that Media is more dangerous than terrorists because they do it under the guise of safe-guarding values.
But then, the Indian media worships Gail Wynand – it gives people what they want.
Aristotle The Geek 
Comments
Ram Gopal Verma amuses me with his hypocrisy! I mean here’s a man who starts a blog to defend himself to the media and now slams the media. If he did care so much why did he go visit the Taj in the first place.
I’m not saying the media has been awesome in this task, they did cross a few boundaries, but RGV himself crossed quite a few boundaries and he does not have the right to point fingers at the media.
I have read a few of his posts, and I don’t think he is defending himself ‘to’ the media – he’s defending himself ‘against’ the media and presenting his POV – in full – to his audience thereby ending the media’s monopoly on ‘facts’, selective quotations etc.
About hypocrisy, the media needs RGV as much as RGV needs the media. If he weren’t there, how would they be able to bash RGV Ki Aag for the umpteenth time?
Maybe RGV should have thought about the sentiments of people, but he’s never been that kind of guy. Further, no one, least of all the media, gave a damn. If the media thought that they could get away by blasting RGV on TV for ten hours while there were better things to do, they were wrong – they picked the wrong guy to criticize. RGV has every right to attack the television channels and newspapers.
If he did care so much why did he go visit the Taj in the first place.
so RGV not visiting the taj would have meant that he cared? what about the media? they were busy filming the filmstars in the taj rather than the destruction of taj? what does that say to you?
it’s no surprise that some people actually bought this “india tv” type, half an hour bullsh!t. i repeat – people of india are incapable to come to a logical judgment. the outcome of this democracy shouldn’t be a surprise. all those corrupt politicians aren’t a mistake. no need to go figure.
but RGV himself crossed quite a few boundaries
when it comes to the mumbai attacks, RGV is a nobody. he doesn’t exist.
What sentiments of people? How is he any different than the crowd which was standing outside the hotels even during the operation?
But if sentiments are hurt well then I have only one question. The people who protested with candles and mass gatherings afterwards,weren’t they selfish,opportunistic and inconsiderate? They were using a tragedy and someone else’s death(s) to further their own cause and to feel good about “doing a duty”.
Not much, I have to say. Its curiosity getting the better of you, I think, or worse – the voyeuristic instinct. If that’s the case, what would you say about the people watching the whole affair on tv for two straight days?
That’s the funny part – the moral outrage expressed on the entire episode – by the people, and by the media. People living in glass houses…
It was definitely voyeuristic. Not initially but Eventually it became a spectacle to be witnessed. No one would have turned on the TV if it was the same old tiffin and cycles.But this was different.International elements, elite places,blasts ,hostages,siege.Reality TV at its best.
The moral outrage is misplaced. The good old story of how they came for everybody but I did nothing and then they came for me.
The scary part is how “everyone” is openly demanding a military or military like state. But to be fair even I was unable to find a solution for terrorism despite reading whatever I could.
Free trade,resilience and gun rights were the three sound options I was able to come up with. You have any more?
@Aristotle
if you haven’t yet seen MAD CITY yet then i’d recommended you watch it. i saw it way back before the news channel revolution here in india so it didn’t make much sense to me back then but now it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.
i may be wrong but rgv might have lurked over this blog sometime back during the taj mahal/deshmukh/media spat. i’ve seen the promos of his new movie “rann” on some channel and they look like an indian version remake of “mad city”.
There are n number of books and films on the media’s parasitic/ symbiotic relationship with society. I don’t think RGV has to come here to get ideas.
Anyway, if you haven’t watched it, Sidney Lumet’s Network is a classic.
“Free trade,resilience and gun rights were the three sound options I was able to come up with. You have any more?”
How about free speech, liberty, private security, zero government interference – basically the libertarian ‘limited government’. Of course none of it will happen.
Those are all fundamental rights,they should be in place no matter what.