How Indian Media Crossed A Line With Sidharth Shukla’s Death Reporting

Balika Vadhu famed actor Sidharth Shukla passed away the day before yesterday in his Mumbai house, reportedly due to a heart attack. The 40-year-old Bigg Boss 13 winner had millions of fans and was a popular household name. He also used to remain in talks due to his relationship with Shehnaaz Gill.

His sudden demise sent a shocking wave to the industry and his fans. Condolences poured in from all over the country. The media was obviously very involved in the matter but like in most celebrity death cases, they kind of crossed a line this time too.

The initial reporting of the case in such matters is expected and necessary. But, how essential is it to chase the grieving relatives and friends around when they visit the deceased’s house, or to constantly nudge their obviously in shock family and partner just to make a couple of headlines?

Things Media Shouldn’t Have Done After Sidharth’s Death

Since yesterday, the entertainment news channels have been constantly updating as to who visited the actor’s house and when. What they were wearing, how sad they looked, the details are excruciating.

Moments after his death, Shehnaaz became the center of attention. Every entertainment journalist wanted an update on her condition. Shehnaaz’s father was quoted saying “Shehnaaz is inconsolable“, and her mother said that she was exhausted and that Sidharth’s mother is numb.

Nobody said anything that wasn’t anyway obvious, so why the pressure on the kin of the deceased to comment on the matter? Can’t they, as a family, have privacy and the right to grieve the sudden death of a member?

And this was all just on the first day of his demise. The funeral site yesterday was crammed with paparazzi, all ganging up on the actor’s kin as and when they arrived. No one had the courtesy to give them enough space, both physical and emotional.

Here is a video making rounds on social media in which Shehnaaz reached the crematorium with her brother:

Read More: Comparisons Of Sidharth Shukla’s Demise With Sushant Singh Rajput’s Seem Wrong

See how she does not have the space to be herself because the media is hounding her. In another video, the paparazzi completely blocked as she was trying to get out of her car. They did the same to Siddharth’s mother and other close people.

Anyone who counters this with the argument that these people chose public life needs to understand that there are some moments that are meant to be private. Clicking pictures from a distance is still understandable but in this case, the paparazzi did not take care of even this minute detail.

In one particular picture, Shehnaaz was lying on the floor at the funeral, clearly grieving. Now that picture is viral on social media. Imagine you are in your most vulnerable state, and someone clicks your picture and uploads it for everyone to see.

General Public Equally, Probably More At Fault

Sidharth’s death was definitely a shock for everyone, and his fans who admired him naturally wanted to know what happened and how it did. But, a line needs to be drawn somewhere.

The media only does what sells, and people love to see the reactions of people who were close to the deceased. Almost every tweet related to Sidharth’s death also included Shehnaaz’s name. They wanted to get regular updates on her whereabouts.

This reminds me of how people targeted Kriti Sanon last year after Sushant Singh’s demise. Kriti, his close friend and co-star, had not made any public statement about him, which created a negative image of her in the public. People were so desperate for her reaction that when they didn’t get any, they made her the villain, a fake friend.

She later wrote a message on social media about how she needs her space and that her privacy should be respected.

She said how there need to be rules to journalism and Blind items should be made illegal.

The death of young life is a difficult moment for their family and friends. Those moments of privacy should be respected and a spectacle should not be made out of the situation.

Sources: Twitter, Several Entertainment News Outlets

Image Sources: Google Images, Instagram

Find The Blogger: @TinaGarg18

This post is tagged under: sidharth shukla, sidharth’s death, bigg boss season 13 winner, balika vadhu, shehnaaz gill, sidnaaz, #sidnaaz, heart attack, bollywood, TV actor, celebrity, celebrity demise, indian media, insensitivity, death, demise, grieve, courtesy, condolences, degrading state of media, journalists, paparazzi, ethics, morals, manners

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