Peeping
Toms and sting operations
K.
B. Ganapathy |
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Ever
since Tehelka made news capturing corrupt politicians
and army officers in the TV camera, sting operations
by TV Channels seemed to be on the increase. The latest
one is the sting operation involving the Hindi film
actor, Villain in that, Shakthi Kapoor. The TV Channel
India TV telecast the Kapoor expose where the greatest
revelation was about the Casting Couch existing in
Bollywood.
The
term casting couch means, in simple term, taking a
girl or a woman aspiring to become a film star to
bed in return for the favour of giving her an opportunity
to act in a film or for recommending the aspirant
to film producers for a role.
It
appears, the India TV Channel secretly filmed Shakthi
Kapoor visiting a woman, who had posed herself as
a Bollywood aspirant, at her hotel room late at night.
After some alcohol, Kapoor became loquacious. As they
say, when wine is in wit is out, more so, when there
is only one woman in the room. Kapoor began to spill
the beans saying unpleasant and untruth things about
a number of famous Bollywood luminaries including
Preity Zinta, Aishwarya Rai, Subhash Ghai and others.
Kapoor,
also told the girl, “I want to make love to
you”, and started making amorous advances towards
her and finally tried to embrace her. When she protested,
unlike a Villain, and like a good boy, he returned
to his seat and did not persist with his lustful desire.
However, he told the reluctant girl the Bollywood
truth.
According
to Kapoor — that if one hopes to make it in
Bollywood, then one should be ready to sleep with
the benefactor.
When
the TV Channel telecast this sting operation, the
viewers got the feeling that their long time film
Villain on the screen is a loose talker in real life.
What was seen on the TV offended the members of his
film fraternity so much that there was even a talk
of boycotting him and to bring his film career, already
on its last leg, to an abrupt and sad end.
Fortunately
for him, this has not happened.
Now
the main controversy is about the existence or otherwise
of the casting couch in Bollywood.
Be
that as it may, Shakthi Kapoor has pleaded his innocence
and justified his conduct in the given situation.
It was a trap after all and he simply became a prey
in front of the predator TV camera.
According
to him, the girl had been telephoning him for months,
making obscene suggestions and insisting that he visit
her in her room. Well, if one is a man, one should
move on. So, he moved on and did what came naturally
to a man in such a situation, believing that he was
offered sex for pleasure. He went along to her room.
Once there, Kapoor says, the girl encouraged him by
throwing coquettish looks at him and by using suggestive
words rousing his libido and thus forcing him, through
remote control, to go near her.
But
sadly for Kapoor, the telecast version of this encounter
had cut out moves of the temptress while showing only
Kapoor's indecent behaviour. As for what he said of
Preity Zinta, Subhash Ghai and others, he attributed
it to manipulation by the camera and the audio (digital)
technology.
From
what was seen on the TV and from what was heard from
Kapoor's lips, it was clear that though he was sexually
aroused he did not rape her nor did he make any serious
effort to force himself on her. A gentleman Villain
indeed! Apparently, he was ready for sex only if it
was consensual. No wonder, many people seem to have
sympathy for poor Kapoor.
However,
this episode has brought to the fore certain legal
and ethical questions relating to both print and electronic
media. The question is: Should the media enter into
the privacy of people who are not responsible or accountable
to the people in general and where it is their own
individual private matter, which does not harm, hurt
or humiliate others?
A
film actor, from his point of view, is different from
a politician or a bureaucrat or even army men (who
were exposed by Tehelka) because all these persons
are responsible to the people and there is public
interest involved in their conduct. Not so with the
conduct of a film actor. Politicians, bureaucrats
and army men are paid for their service from the taxpayers'
money and, therefore, their conduct has a direct bearing
on the peace, progress and order of the society. But
a film actor is his own man. He is not responsible
to you and me or the people in general unless he commits
a criminal offence.
Kapoor
may sleep with an aspiring film star with her consent;
recommend her too for a film role. If she turns out
to be a flop or a hit, it is purely the business of
the producer. General public is in no way affected.
Then why cry foul? It does not concern the public
whether the producer went after the casting couch
or not.
Therefore,
what India TV indulged in was just playing the role
of a voyeur, a peeping tom. Now watch out your keyhole
in the bedroom or look for hidden cameras if you are
a VIP or a celebrity.
K.B.Ganapathy,
Editor in Cheif
Star of Mysore
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