CNBC TV18’s Anuradha Sengupta blogs about Rajanikanth’s Sivaji and calls it crap. The blog is inundated with comments (the last time I visited it, the count stood at 1250+), most of them from irate Rajni fans. Anuradha posts a reply, and the reply is bombarded by comments. More of them supportive and understanding her stand that the original post was a personal comment on the film, not a professional review, but a number still vitriolic.
I read and re-read her original post to try and understand what it is that Rajni fans were so upset about. It’s like people being upset if I said that I didn’t like the food at Bade Miya’s (I don’t; I think it’s overhyped crap).
If I did say, and I do, that the food at Bade Miya is crap, it does not
a) stop those who think Bade Miya rocks from going there
b) make Bade Miya go out of business
Just as those who think Sivaji is a great movie have a right to their opinions, so does Anuradha who thinks differently.
The worry, and the reason for the post, is the mob mentality that took over – some going so far as to threaten Anuradha with bodily harm. Increasingly, aided and abetted by live news television, the mob is becoming judge, jury and executioner.
And it’s bad enough that the media is becoming judge, jury and executioner too.
Yesterday I borrowed liberally from a post by Jamie Lee Curtis for mine; today, I link to a terrific piece in the Onion on trials by media. Does the spoof entertain me? No.
Does it frighten me? Yes. As do the reactions to Anuradha’s post.
I read and re-read her original post to try and understand what it is that Rajni fans were so upset about. It’s like people being upset if I said that I didn’t like the food at Bade Miya’s (I don’t; I think it’s overhyped crap).
If I did say, and I do, that the food at Bade Miya is crap, it does not
a) stop those who think Bade Miya rocks from going there
b) make Bade Miya go out of business
Just as those who think Sivaji is a great movie have a right to their opinions, so does Anuradha who thinks differently.
The worry, and the reason for the post, is the mob mentality that took over – some going so far as to threaten Anuradha with bodily harm. Increasingly, aided and abetted by live news television, the mob is becoming judge, jury and executioner.
And it’s bad enough that the media is becoming judge, jury and executioner too.
Yesterday I borrowed liberally from a post by Jamie Lee Curtis for mine; today, I link to a terrific piece in the Onion on trials by media. Does the spoof entertain me? No.
Does it frighten me? Yes. As do the reactions to Anuradha’s post.
2 comments:
Hi,
Sivaji is an average movie. But it is still a great Rajnikanth movie[Reason: Rajnikanth movies are not meant for logic or story line but for showcasing his charisma & his style]...
Opposition to her comments mainly because she used the IBNLive Blog section thus using credibility of the IBN tag line.. If she has used her own blog, that is little bit different.. Though she is only using the blog, she is still represents the views of CNN-IBN. I think the opposition is justified since as someone who does not understand the language she has no right in commenting about the movie..
P.S: Personally I also dont agree with the article. Since only someone who has followed the Tamil Movies for quite some time would only enjoy the nuances of the movie.. e.g. Rajnikanth spoofing on present day Tamil comedy actors, Tamil young heroes, etc..
I am reading this article second time today, you have to be more careful with content leakers. If I will fount it again I will send you a link
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