‘Sannate ko cheerti hui sansani’…an anchor, with a dark beard, literally screams in a late night programme on a news channel’s crime bulletin.
Another announcer of one news channel ‘shouts’, “Gaur se dekhiye ish tasvir ko...”.
Such phrases are not scarce. One could make a list of such “over-emphasized”, masaledar statements directed deliberately to arouse viewers’ attention.
Such is the narration that one feels it difficult even to change the channel, as if he were bewitched.
Such is the emphasis on “narrations” to get eye-balls that not only crime programmes, but entertainment and prime-time news bulletins too are built around the “expression of the anchor”.
To put it in a nut shell, whether you are sounding sensible or not, you must deliver it “properly” – that is now the watch word of editors. Do not confuse the word “properly” with anything but “acting” here.
But isn’t it necessary for them to act in order to sell news which may really not be news but pure fiction or exaggeration?
Of course it is. I am, anyway, not going into the legitimacy of what they are doing. Here in fact I am “commending” them for their creative ability!
Now, let’s jump to the world of politics – another old and not-so-noble profession, at least in the eyes of those it claims to serve – the people.
Our politicians, I think, are one of the biggest entertainers. Lalu Yadav, Amar Singh, Raj Thackeray, to name a few, have done every single act a la what our heroes and heroines pull-off on-screen.
They indulge in nerve-jangling stunts- throwing chairs, mikes, tables- fight without body doubles- kick, slap each other, threaten, using vulgar epithets like Ajay Devgn in ‘Omkara’ and thus pout on a show superbly well by fooling voters successfully every five years or so.
My brother likes to watch Lok Sabha TV when the house is in session over my favourite movies channel, and I have realized why. It is the best reality TV there is.
“Political leaders everywhere have come to understand that to govern they must learn how to act,” Arthur Miller, one of the greatest dramatists of the twentieth century, once said.
Be it Sarah Palin’s cleavage-exposing posters or Barack Obama’s fiery speeches read out from a teleprompter, or our own leaders who have found political salvation in visiting Dalit houses (though they may have five star meals inside it)- there are enough examples to substantiate Miller’s claim.
Talking about our cricketers, they fight too (remember the Harbhajan-Sreesanth episode), they act (I need not to remember the unending commercials on TV) and they have a long list of fans too.
Alas, they can’t sometimes play!
I need not elaborate about actors though. They are supposed to act and like the ills of every profession, actors too don’t do what they are supposed to do well – ACT!
Hey, I am not targeting Mr Arjun Rampal or Bobby Deol or even Mr Tushar Kapoor.
This keeps me wondering - Who is the real actor?
(The views expressed by the author are personal)