Koffee is a three letter word

The nature of television news is equally fleeting but can have far-reaching consequences. A regular visitor to India TV will notice the number of ‘bar girls’ on the channel increases every day. Last Monday we saw five of them dancing a mujra captured by the India TV camera in a manner that filled the screen with their posteriors. Sunday morning, 40 ‘bar girls’ had been arrested in the channel’s presence, which seems constant — so enamoured is the channel of bar girls it has a reporter permanently recording their each jhatka, matka and other movements.

If a private individual was found ‘watching’ individuals in a similar manner, he would be arrested. Private news channels can subject people to public exposure 24×7 under the pretext of ‘news’. Girls become (in)famous by public brandishment of them as an ‘item’ men consume along with liquor. Yeh kaisa insaaf?

The camera is more than just a navel gazer; it is a magnet that attracts people with an irresistible force. Often, news channels in search of public opinion get more public than opinion. During the UP elections, Aaj Tak’s interviews were drowned by those in the background and every effort was made to dislodge the speaker from his camera position. Anything for split second stardom.

Coverage of the Dera Sacha Sauda violence last week, or Singur on Sunday saw people charge in front of the camera and the reporter’s voice rise or fall in direct proportion to the size and sound of the agitation. The reporters, particularly on Hindi news channels, heighten the violence of the occasion; they become shrill and the repeated replays of the same footage in a seamless ‘live’ sequence magnifies a moment to the extent that you feel the entire state is up in arms. It’s been said before: agitators love TV news cameras and the exposure it gives their cause. Fine, but viewers do get a sense of ‘make belief’ as though people ‘stage’ manage incidents and the media obliges.

Star Parivaar Awards (Star Plus) invariably, is an occasion for TV actors to provide proof of their dancing skills to Bollywood producers who might be watching. It is also a moment for self-congratulation as the competition is open only to Star performers in family soaps. The public is asked to choose its fav ba, beti, bahu, bhai, bhatija, bhanji, etc., from this exclusive club. This year’s show had a delightful parody by Sangeeta Ghosh, Shabhir Ali and Varun Badola of the saas-bahu genre. The other distinguishing feature was the extensive use of the applaud box: we heard riotous applause for each winner but saw few in the audience clap.

Karan Johar got a taste of his own Koffee with Richard Gere (Star World). He sat on the edge of his chair like an errant schoolboy as Gere fired questions at him about Tibet or lectured him on AIDS. K was reduced to interjections that amounted to a series of three letter words: “Yes… yes… yes…” Gere was relaxed, Karan was nervous. Lesson of the encounter? Karan, drink your Koffee with the creme de la creme of Bollywood and never, never go serious on us.