What a con job

Since bloody when have filmmakers been expected to provide for the artistes they hire? Why are the makers of Slumdog Millionaire being harassed, both by the parents of the actors and the media, for ‘disregarding’ the upbringing and welfare of the youngest kids in the film? Whose kids are they anyway? Is there no onus on the parents to provide for the welfare of the kids they have conceived?

First there were reports on how the ‘kids’ were provided far less than the minimum income an artiste in Britain would earn. Duh!! I’m sure the kids and their parents, whether illiterates from slums or not, were informed of just how much they would be paid. I’m also sure that the ‘loving parents’, true to the Indian tradition, haggled for the money too.

Then came reports of how what they were paid have all been spent already and how the filmmakers should have considered paying the kids enough money so they could buy themselves a house. Duh and double duh!

Man, that’s a joke and a poor one at that. How can the media readily print such stuff as legitimate demands by the actors or their parents?

And now there are reports of how the filmmakers had actually provided for the education of the kids, held discussions with the parents and set up a Trust to cater to this need and so on and so forth.

Sheesh! Just because the film has now hit the limelight any news is worth carrying, is it? Even if it is the most ridiculous and unimaginably embarrassing accusations? What happened to verifying facts? Is that no longer a journalistic dictum? Don’t reporters and editors need to even wonder nowadays what the other party concerned has to say about the whole issue?

Huh! Journalism has gone to the dogs, for sure. And probably some of the first to take it there are organizations like the Times of India and Malayala Manorama.

PS. Oh sure, I worked for Malayala Manorama. But if anyone thinks I upheld the stuff they consider ‘newsworthy’ (I'm talking about the newspaper) and the way they handle it, you’ve got another thought coming.