Janhvi Kapoor slams voyeuristic media culture, says her mother's death became a 'meme'
Mumbai (PTI): Actor Janhvi Kapoor has criticised the "voyeuristic nature" of media culture where even death gets dehumanised, something that she experienced after the death of her mother and more recently with veteran actor Dharmendra.
Speaking at the We The Women 2025 event on Sunday, Janhvi said media, especially social media, has "single handedly contributed to the complete derailment of human morality".
"The voyeuristic nature of journalism, of media culture, of social media today, has single handedly contributed to the complete derailment of human morality, and I'm seeing it more and more every day.
"It was horrible when I lost my mom. I don't know if you all can imagine what it's like to lose someone that close to you and see it become a meme. I don't even know how to compute or explain it, but it's just gotten worse," the actor told senior journalist Barkha Dutt.
Janhvi said she avoids talking about her mother, renowned actor Sridevi's death publicly, as she fears that people will think she’s using it to grab headlines. Sridevi died on February 24 in 2018 at the age of 54.
"I think the feeling and the phase that I went through during that time is something I'll never be able to verbalise. And I think that it was such an individual experience that even if I told you all everything about it... I don't know if any of you all would ever be able to relate to it, and I'm always conscious about sounding like I'm saying things to get you all to feel bad for me.
"And so I always refrain a little bit because I know everyone is opportunistic in nature, and everyone just wants a headline. And I would hate if I ever sounded like I was using such a painful part of my life and my relationship with my mother for a headline, so I think that always holds me back," she added.
She also referred to the false media reports about veteran actor Dharmendra's death on November 11. The "Sholay" star died on November 24 at the age of 89.
"We saw what happened with Dharamji and it's happened repeatedly before that. I'm sure it will only get worse," Janhvi said, adding that celebrities are equally responsible for the problem.
"I think we are part of the problem. I think every time we give videos, headlines or narratives... like views, comments, likes, every time we look for something like that, we are incentivising this culture," she said.
Janhvi said "human morality is in shambles" and it is nothing but "depressing".
"I think earlier we had a consciousness in us that stopped us from seeing certain things, saying certain things, indulging in certain practices, but that's out of the window, and it's disgusting.
"This is the modern-day crisis that we've lost our morality as a result of how voyeuristic everything has become. Someone dies somewhere, some horrible attack somewhere, you kind of want to see the things that you shouldn't see, and it gives you the strange feeling of... I guess it's that same horrible feeling of satisfaction that sometimes you get when you gossip, but it's been encouraged so much through social media," she said.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
