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Journalism of Courage
In our country, the gods and goddesses of Bollywood have always sought to prove that they are heroic both on and off screen. Stars have armed themselves with sub-machine guns, pleading that they were simply acting in the pursuit of Farz not Karz. Others have slapped and kicked members of the press, complaining that the Insaaf Ka Tarazu has been unfairly tilted against them. Stars have rampaged into politics driven by the unshakeable conviction that the act of casting one8217;s franchise is identical to buying a ticket to the movies. There are heroes famous for violent behaviour, others who are known for their hard-drinking and high living ways, others who are guilty of violating the laws of Hum Dono and still others are becoming notorious for their alleged links with a sinister new entrant into the Mumbai film industry: the underworld.
In the public spat between two Bollywood shahenshahs Vivek Oberoi and Salman Khan, Oberoi has not only provided details of Khan8217;s well known shockingly delinquent behaviour but also hinted that the actor has connections with the bhais of organised crime. Whatever the murky machinations of the midnight telephone calls and threats and counter-threats over the object or objects of Khan8217;s destructive obsessions, there can be no doubt that Oberoi8217;s attempt to secure the moral high ground through a press conference is yet another example of a star trying to prove that in reel life as well as in real life he is Hero No.1.
