Distorted Images

News channels used this bit of information to build possible scenarios of her death, with some imaginative use of CGI. One channel had the graphic of a bathtub with “Maut ka Bathtub” written on it, and a framed picture of Sridevi hung above it. A regional channel had Sridevi’s form submerged in the bathtub while her husband, Boney Kapoor, looked on. Another channel took the liberty of adding a graphic of a wine glass. The anchor of a regional channel outdid everyone by lying down in a bathtub.

Many celebrities took to social media to criticise the coverage. Vidya Balan, rarely vocal on Twitter, took to the medium to say, “May they let you rest in peace….”. Designer Masaba Mantena tweeted: “Do yourselves & your family a favour .. put that TV off, I am amazed that news channels are stooping to this level & ppl think it’s ok to come on a panel & discuss this!there are two very young girls who lost their mom, pls pls stop this (sic).”

For actor Vikrant Massey, the sensationalism is merely one example of what he thinks has been a problem with the media for a long time. “Some people depend on media for information and what the channels or papers put out is considered sacrosanct. This irresponsible, sensationalised version of news can cause damage. This is not news but manufactured content and it’s heartbreaking to know that nothing can be done to curtail this trend in the media.”

Swara Bhaskar, who posted several tweets on the way circumstances of Sridevi’s death were being shown on TV, told The Indian Express, “There are far too many news channels in India that simply do not have any right to call themselves news channels, they ought to be called general entertainment channels. It’s a sick and worrying state of affairs for us as a public when you cannot trust news channels to have journalistic ethics and integrity.”