"Seven days of twinge and misery for Bachchans and seven days of delight and break through for media"
It was 11th October, yet another customary day for all until a news flash came “Amitabh Bachchan has been rushed to hospital as he was complaining of severe abdominal pain”
With the twist of fate, Amitabh was celebrating his 66th birthday. The news instantly reached everyone. Amitabh had been admitted to hospital earlier also (for some other reasons), subsequently this shock had gripped the entire nation. While people started gathering around Amitabh’s palce ( Prateeksha and Jalsa) he was being sent under observation in the hospital
How could our media miss on such a golden opportunity? Editors must have called for urgent summits. Since this was the sole chance for them to cling on to the TRP Game ones again. Clearly, that had been a boring week with no major events happening (in the lives of celebrities) and now they had all the masala in the world to cook the bulletins on Amitabh.
Consequently, the media fraternity started gathering in front of Pratiksha, Jalsa, Nanavati hospital and later Lilavati hospital. Amitabh, is a obsession among people and media is aware of this fact. Therefore, every thing for media community was moving in a well designed pace. It was a major news story which could fetch them with follow up scoops for several days
Only because Amitabh was hospitalized his entire history was being shown on televison news. His career his childhood days, his struggle period, his father, his mother, his son, his wife, his daughter in law, his daughter .Of course we are talking about Amitabh Bachchan. Every aspect concerned about him was taken care off by newspersons (none of particulars pertaining to his life was omitted, even Rekha found her way in news too).
Apparently, Bachchans were the only subject matter of discussion in publications and the (24/7) news channels. The planning strategy started on day one: media people were placed in different locations, Pratiksha, Lilavati being few of them. The gossips found their way through the chai ki tapris’s near hospital (in the suburbs of Juhu) from where media groups kept a steady vigil on the family.
This was just the beginning of fun filled drama. This was nothing less than one of a Amitabh’s film which comprised of all the mellow drama, emotion, fiction, action, rona dhona, tragedy, being the some facets of it only difference it had was that this drama was not on celluloid but on small screen.
The entire nation had been stuck to their respective television screens clearly those people who unfortunately could not make it to Bombay among heaps of people following “BIG B”.
Spectators from the whole country were waiting in huge numbers at the entry and exit points of Pratiksha and Lilavati hospital and leading them were the media people
Fans and media had total different purpose for waiting: for fans, they wanted speedy recovery of their millennium star also some of them wanted to fool media by having some coverage of themselves ( some of them were successful I must admit).
Where as, media people were on the spots to record all the movements made by Bachchans. Needless to say they did not want to miss even a single of glimpse by any of the Bachchans or their closed ones and why not …..they can make news too.
Throughout, mikes were fixed firmly on to the Bachchans…whoever they could get hold of. No private moment was permissible to the family to grieve or to celebrate.
On the contrary journalists were there to make sure that whenever it’s feasible they could carry out some sound bytes, (their interviews). The camerapersons were on their toes all over to get all the obligatory visuals and bites or else they would be fired or would be rebuked by their respective bosses for not being vigilant on the field. As this one was an out and out exclusive story.
Hats off to media who were at their best to deliver even the minutest of the details about Mr.bachchan and family to the ever snooping masses. The details noticeably included:
Amitabh Bachchan had an apple today
He had a glass of water some time back
He will be on a liquid diet for some days
Amitabh just sneezed
This is such an important piece of information. I must express my gratitude to media for covering the news beyond belief and for making never ending episodes and dedicating them to Mr. Bachchan.
After all they are no ordinary people they are “The Bachchans” .......THE NEWS MAKERS.
Now, how can we overlook the exceptional tactics employed by media to lure their audiences and to raise their TRP’s. Series of rumors had been proliferated about Mr.Bachchan and they kept multiplying. Some of them were noted saying “Amitabh is very critical”, some of them said “Amitabh has been discharged” and so on.
Considerably, why this coverage should not be done? After all media has become a business now, Business of selling goods and services. Where in goods and services implies information. To ensure the prosperity of this business, news is being generated, appended with it the unparallel add ons.
While all this was going on a 2 year old boy was stuck under a 100 feet deep bore well in Agra. Hardly reporters were seen covering the incident; neither did the story find its place in the major chuck of news. Beyond doubt, it could have been a well thought out decision. Sonu or Amitabh who would make headlines?
The answer is quite obvious ............
Alas, seven days in and out masaledar coverage was given to Amitabh Bachchan with special tadka .Right through the day one, media followed the Bachchans from Prateeksha to Nanavati to Lilavati to Jalsa
Not to forget we had some unsung heroes in this story as well, who were waiting for a happy finale. A man who made his journey from Allahbad to Mumbai in a rickshaw, pulled by him, landed at the gate of Prateeksha. He kept waiting for Amitabh to return to his place. Besides, he was found distributing pamphlets for prompt recuperation of AB.
A woman sat on an indefinite hunger strike stating that she won’t eat anything until Amitabh recovers.
All these heroes and heroines were given equal weightege and importance by media and were captured by the shutter bugs incessantly.
Lets look at a phase used by a leading media channel, “mega star Amitabh Bachchan was discharged on Friday from Lilavati hospital where he was admitted last week after he complained of severe stomach pain. The actor dressed in white shirt accompanied by wife Jaya in white too, son Abhishek, daughter in law Aishwarya Rai left hospital at around 1040 hours and reached their residence Jalsa at suburban Juhu”. Amitabh bachchan was rushed to nanavati hospital which is barely one kilometer from Pratiksha on 11th of October”
The slightest of details was being accounted,” As if Amitabh is hospitalized was not enough for people, they had to know the distance between the residence of Bachchans and the hospitals.Moreover, the calculations of speed and time were done too..( the time bachchans had taken to reach home from hospital). Besides the dress color was the most vital element which could not be abandoned.
Guess we all know why Mr.Shivraj Patil changes his clothes thrice in a day !!!!!
