Never judge a celebrity by his looks!

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” --- Mathew 7:1-2, The Bible

"Have you heard that another celebrity wife is the reason behind an actor's failed married life? It's all in the papers”.

The particular conversation in the metro forced me to pull out my earphones and listen-in to a gossip session taking place between two young girls (I usually don't do that).

I furiously drew out my smart phone and started to search for this particular actor's name. And yes, there it was! Each story about the latest scandal screaming out at me. I put away my phone and was left deep in thought thereafter.

Another piece of gab-fest for the interested, but at whose expense? Being from the media, I know the adverse effects such news can have on the concerned person. This kind of scenario gives one the feeling that somewhere you are thriving on someone else's misery.

Maybe, it was just another piece of news for the journalist who carried it, but little do we realise that such harsh words can have calamitous consequences.

We don't know what it is to live the life of a celebrity. It may all seem hunky-dory on the face of it, but most of the time it is not what it seems. We as commoners are infuriated when our privacy is impinged upon, and it's totally unfair to not grant the same right to the stars.

I agree that the star-status attracts our inquisitiveness to constantly know about their lives, their latest hairdos or even their style statement. But a fine line has to be drawn between gossiping and bad-mouthing.

I don't know what it is like to be constantly followed by the paparazzi or have my life thrown out to feed public's hunger. Nor do I care to experience it. Mostly because I can't begin to think of my life getting turned upside down because of one wrong or fabricated story.

The news which was splashed about the link-up of the high profile actor with the former wife of an A-lister grabbed the headlines and the story spread like wildfire. Before the actor or anyone else could condemn it, the damage had already been done.

Nobody has the right to pass judgement on anybody's character and that is what it should be. We have no right to comment on anybody's personal life, be it a star or a layman. Everyone has a story of their own to tell.

In the entertainment world, where people thrive on gossip and reported news, we tend to over-do 'journalism' and have somehow managed to change the meaning more towards 'voyeurism'.

Music sensation Katy Perry's documentary `Don't judge me` revealed the actual truth about living the life of a celebrity.

They struggle with relationships like the rest of us. But instead of sharing their agony with their kith and kin, their lives are on display on TV, newspapers and magazines.

As they say, half a lie is always more dangerous than a full truth. It applies to the lives of the stars as well. Nobody bothers to listen to their explanations once the rumour starts doing the rounds. And then adding to the brunt of the fabricated stories, they have to deal with the havoc that the particular news may have created on their lives.

Take for instance, an emotional upheaval that one goes through in a relationship. During separation would we prefer a swarm of uninvited nosy people swooping down on us? We certainly wouldn't.

So why can't we give a little space to celebrities too when they deal with an ugly personal situation like a separation or divorce? Rather than concocting cockeyed stories from thin air and erroneous link-ups, it is time we just let them breathe.

So, next time we judge any celebrity who is painted all over Tinsel Town, let's remember that they too are real people who are battling their own difficulties in their way.

The idle bantering may be fine till such time that it does not tarnish one's image.

“As fallible humans, we usually slip too far over one edge or the other - all wrath and judgment or all grace and love.”