KOCHI: The funeral of veteran actor Salim Kumar has thrown a spotlight on the toxic culture of a section of online media in Kerala. The emotional outburst of the actor’s son, Chandhu, against a flock of insensitive reporters at their residence has initiated a serious public debate regarding the ethics of digital journalism and the personal space of celebrities.
While standing completely devastated near the mortal remains of his father, Chandhu was aggressively targeted by several online media reporters armed with microphones and smartphones. These content creators allegedly asked highly inappropriate and tone-deaf questions such as, “Which of your father’s movie dialogues stays close to your heart right now?” and “Can you share a few words about your grief?”. Pushed to his absolute limits during a moment of profound personal loss, Chandhu naturally lost his composure and lashed out at the intrusive reporters.
The incident has highlighted how a deeply private family tragedy is being reduced to mere ‘content’ by independent digital platforms looking to boost their online reach and views. While industry stars in previous instances, such as siblings Vineeth and Dhyan Sreenivasan, managed such chaotic media crowds with immense patience, the public believes that the media’s behavior has now officially crossed all boundaries of basic human empathy.
The controversy has triggered a massive wave of support for Chandhu across social media networks, with citizens demanding a strict boundary line for online media portals. Critics argue that being a celebrity or a public figure does not mean that the family must sacrifice their fundamental right to privacy, especially during a funeral. Netizens have widely stood by Chandhu, validating his anger and stating that the time has come to formulate strict guidelines to prevent online media outlets from barging into private residences and exploiting a family’s darkest hours for digital monetization.
ലഘു വിവരണം
നടൻ സലിം കുമാറിന്റെ സംസ്കാര ചടങ്ങിനിടെ മകൻ ചന്തു ഓൺലൈൻ മാധ്യമങ്ങളോട് പൊട്ടിത്തെറിച്ച സംഭവം വലിയ വാർത്തയായിരിക്കുകയാണ്. അച്ഛൻ മരിച്ചു കിടക്കുന്ന വീട്ടിൽ വിങ്ങിപ്പൊട്ടി നിന്ന ചന്തുവിനോട് “അച്ഛന്റെ ഏത് സിനിമാ ഡയലോഗാണ് ഓർമ്മ വരുന്നത്” എന്ന തരത്തിൽ ഓൺലൈൻ ചാനലുകൾ ചോദിച്ച അസമയത്തുള്ള ചോദ്യങ്ങളാണ് ചന്തുവിനെ ചൊടിപ്പിച്ചത്. റേറ്റിങ്ങിനായി മാധ്യമങ്ങൾ കാട്ടിയ ഈ ക്രൂരതയ്ക്കെതിരെയും ചന്തുവിന്റെ പ്രതികരണത്തിന് പിന്തുണയുമായും വലിയ രീതിയിലുള്ള പൊതുജന പ്രതിഷേധമാണ് ഇപ്പോൾ ഉയരുന്നത്.
(With inputs from MN)
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