One More Tehelka: Shakti Kapoor

This case looks like an inning of our own cricket team. A very good start but at the end lost the match. Or let me put this way, A story, news chanel starts under the name of ‘Breaking story’ and after few days or months they really break the story in tiny tiny pieces. Journalism is not a page-3 (as said by atul kulkarni’s character in movie page-3). But in today’s world it looks like it is page-3. Just couple years back we had Tehelka using the same method, But today I don’t know about it even most of us don’t know about it and our so called journalist don’t care about it and punishment for those (politicians), who involved - are you kidding?. How many times any news related to Tehelka printed on newspaper or in news channel after that news first came in limelight. In our country, news channels are like volcano, suddenly erupt, throw hot lava and then thats it, that eruption becomes cold case. Before the release of this hot video interview, there was one hot audio release, some one-two years back…remember. Phone talk taped not by journalist but the persons responsible for law, order and investigation, people involved on it was from same industry. And then there is one music director accused of murder of a person from the same industry and now sitting in london and composing music for the people of same industry. Why go back, recently one of the girl accused one young director for the same ‘casting couch’ (unforunately or fortunately she was not the reporter), what was the truth behind that who knows.

For any news story (investigative journalism) in my views there is four important words: What, Where, How and Why. What happened, Where happened, How happened and Why happened. Any verdict should be given only after these four words or points are fully explained. In this country, Law order and verdict is only for poor and medium class. I read in internet version of some newspaper that Guild association or something similar to this (association of producers) said that they will ban SK, but in the very next line same association also said if SK apologises then there wouldn’t be any such ban. They know better than us that ‘In bath tub, all of us are naked.’ so if they start banning like this then their business will be in trouble.

Now on the latest case (I have seen that video), recent act by SK made him real life villain from reel life. Whatever he said or asked was totally shameless. He did a shameful act for himself and for his family. I can guess he is not the first who did this kind of ‘casting couch’ and I can imagine he wouldn’t be the last too (don’t even try to think that I am a passimist). He is one another scapegoat there is no doubt about it and he should only blame to himself for that. But there are some open questions? Whatever that journalist did, was that legal or appropriate? What’s the gaurantee if the person sitting in front of him or her not recording their conversation using hidden camera (every big fish will have this doubt now on). Why SK? Hardly anyone knows if he is making any movie or not. After how many months she got this meeting scheduled and after how many phone calls? If it took 6 months or more as I read somewhere then what’s the guarantee it was not a trap but still it doesn’t give clean chit to SK for what he said. If SK mentioned some name for whatever reason isn’t it the responsiblity of the same journalist or group to investigate further before releasing this news or interview. And if a girl arrange a meeting at night in hotel room and serve you alcohol and ask a role (as it looks like in video) then it’s difficult to judge the reaction of other person specially if he is linked with glamor world. And finally, exactly what has this story achieved?
Long time back I have read in one of Osho’s book which was something like this, ‘everybody steal something big or small in some moment of his or her life but we are not a thief until we get caught’. This is very true in today’s scenario and this time SK got caught. Now ball is on India TV’s court let’s see if this was real story or just saas bahu serial kind a reel story which looses it’s viewership as months passed by.

(Read SK as Shakti Kapoor)