For a moment, back there, one thought it was Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network promoting Indian animation which you instantly recognize as Indian because it resembles Amar Chitra Katha comic books. Anyway, on the TV screen is this comic man in a green shirt and nondescript trousers seated upright; next shot another comic man appears blazing a gun like a cowboy; switch to a comic lady standing in the kitchen before an empty gas range, listening to the action in the other room; return to green shirt character bleeding.Look again and the logo proclaims Star News’ ‘‘Ulajhati Jaanch’’ (complicated probe) — a comic-look reconstruction of how Pravin allegedly shot Pramod Mahajan while his wife, Rekha, was in the kitchen. Next stop, Suryanarayan’s grieving wife and ‘the other wife’’ picturised like soap queens? Can’t you just see it? Isn’t that what happens on the likes of Star’s crime show Sansani, already? If we question the green shirt and trousers (was Pramod dressed so at 7.30 am?) we will be accused of pettiness. So let’s just ask: does not this kind of creative license reduce the gravity of the incident to a caricature? And, would you like to see your near-dear ones on TV as Archie and Veronica?News channels increasingly treat events like a comic strip, a soap opera or a cross between the two. The Mahajans’ story ran its course like a daily serial/strip: each day we would watch the family members disappear inside the hospital and, at some stage, exit, grim-faced, tight-lipped.There followed — on the Hindi news channels — repeated reconstructions of Pravin’s alleged crime, his before and after the shooting. Switch to grave medical bulletins and a graphic of Pramod Mahajan’s internal condition, before a final peak at Pravin’s expressionless face, the police hovering about him, the music loud with foreboding. It sounded rather like the heart-stopping sound of Aaj Tak’s horror, supernatural show (yes) Khauff.It also reminded you of Savita’ death in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Star Plus) although the circumstances were very different. Every day for at least a fortnight, we visited the hospital alongwith Tulsi, grim-faced and tight-lipped; each day we learnt of Savita’s grave medical condition (which she sought release from) until the plug is pulled on her by near one Tulsi, expressionless when the police take her away for murder, the music loud with you-know-what. Of course, Tulsi’s was a mercy killing and this could well be fratricide but they were treated very similarly — close-up of victim, family, police and perpetrator.Back to reality: have you noticed, how in a case such as Mahajan’s, 24x7 live news let’s you know well in advance what is going to happen (again, rather like a soap). This was no less than the ‘chronicle of a death foretold’ for at least two days in advance of Mahajan’s actual demise. By the time the doctors read out their final statement on Wednesday, we were already grieving at the pyre.We had been prepared for the imminent announcement following the minute details of Mahajan’s latest medical condition all morning and the cavalcade of personalities we saw rush into the hospital. By 2.30-3 pm. the channels went from ‘‘critical’’ and ‘‘very critical’’ to ‘‘very, very critical’’ on the English channels to ‘‘aakhri saans par’’ on the Hindi India TV and it was all over but for the announcement.Lastly, a sad but not sorry farewell to dear old Jassi. Yes, the girl who won our hearts with her long-fringed hairstyle, balloon spectacles and prominent braces is no more. She bid us goodbye last week, and you were not tearful to see her go. She had overstayed her welcome by at least six months (more, more) and became history the day she traded in her braces for a string of even, pearl white teeth. In the last episode, she appeared on the sets of the show wearing her trademark salwar kameez but it wasn’t the same Jassi we had loved and eagerly awaited every night.Over the last one year, she misplaced her sense of humour, acquired a taste for melodrama and frankly, lost her identity. This Jassi tries too hard to appear as stylish as the saas-bahu females and the more she does everything to avoid the stereotype, the more she fell into the trap.
