W-10 Why has India been obsessed with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput? Is the media to blame?
Sushant Singh Rajput, the name which occasionally made appearances on Page 6 of newspapers became part of every household and newsroom discussion after the tragic death of the actor on June 14. After the suicide of the actor, two groups of opinions were formed. While one advocated awareness of mental health issues which often lead a person to take such extreme steps, the other linked the death to Bollywood mafia and nepotism advocates. An actor’s sudden death definitely calls for media attention, but the uncanny and almost voyeuristic coverage of Sushant’s death on social media and news channels should be a cause of concern for the entire nation.
India holds the second-highest record of COVID 19 cases. The country is also witnessing agitation from farmers, students, migrants and doctors. A great number of caste-based crimes have also come forth. The nation’s GDP has drastically fallen, adversely affecting the economic conditions of the country during a pandemic. And during such tumultuous times, all media channels are not only broadcasting investigations of the SSR suicide case but have also put on their detective coats by giving home-cooked speculations and conspiracies each day. If this was not enough, some news channels also assumed the role of the judiciary and started holding their own media trials. And with the advent of media trials, started a monstrous witch hunt targeting the girlfriend of the late actor, Rhea Chakraborty. The entire nation turned into Salem, by putting every female actor under the radar. The case further diverted and revealed how the consumption of drugs like cocaine have become common in the glamour industry.
So, what started as a conspiracy murder theory led to the arrest of Rhea Chakraborty for the consumption of Marijuana.
But, the entire blame of blowing things out of proportion cannot be shifted to the media channels as the audience plays an equally important role in contributing to the rising TRP ratings of these channels. The audience reallocated the time which they spent watching soap operas, to the news channels as each day, a new conspiracy with a different name was introduced. The news was served in its most sensational form topped with voyeuristic intent, by revealing everything, right from the private text messages of Bollywood actors to the private notes of the late actor’s therapy sessions. Social media sites like Twitter also became host to these salacious and sensationalised content which inherently revealed the misogyny and stigma present in the society. Mental illnesses and their advocates were mocked, while women were demeaned in the entire process. The girlfriend of the actor was painted as a gold digger villain who ‘force-fed’ drugs to the actor, did not take enough care of him and even practised black magic on him. Her character was assassinated in the public domain, and its coverage satisfied the latent misogynistic mindsets of the public.
While media and many Bollywood actors and politicians capitalized on this opportunity for staying relevant and gaining TRP, the audience as well participated in this witch hunt to find new topics to gossip about each day. Thus, the blame cannot be shifted to one party as the society as a whole rapaciously consumed the blatant portrayal of voyeuristic needs. However, the death of Jia khan, who also died under mysterious circumstances, did not garner such support from media as her image was not as relatable as that of a man who went from rags to riches. The middle-class Indian household could relate to the struggles of a boy with not a single Godfather in the industry that runs on nepotism. Thus the relatability of the actor infused with the public’s voyeuristic obsession with Bollywood topped with misogyny translated into a completely palatable dish for the Indian household.
