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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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Indian authorities are in international damage control mode after controversial comments about the Prophet Mohammed by a senior ruling party official sparked a diplomatic spat. But inside the country, the home of a prominent Muslim family was demolished by the state in a display of majoritarian might against India’s largest minority community.

On Sunday afternoon, Mohammad Umam watched in fear and anguish as TV cameras covered the unfolding drama at his family home in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

First, a massive deployment of police officers in camouflage vests and hardhats moved towards the house as news camera teams darted in and out of their ranks, recording and relaying the action live.

Next came the bulldozers. As the police kept journalists within recording distance but safely out of the way, a yellow bulldozer appeared at the gate of the family home, extended a mechanised arm toward the outer wall and tore it down before hacking into the two-story structure, cracking walls and twisting metal rods out of the way.

“It was all shattered within two hours. It was the only home we had. I watched it all live, the media was showing it live, they were helping the administration make the allegations. We are homeless now. Everything my Dad worked for was shattered in two hours. It was so painful, I don’t have words to explain,” said Umam, his voice breaking with the strain during a phone interview with FRANCE 24 a day after the demolition.

Umam, 30, hails from a prominent Muslim family in Prayagraj, a teeming city formerly known as Allahabad. His father, Javed Mohammad, is a businessman, activist and member of the Welfare Party of India, a Muslim opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, a state ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

His sister, Afreen Fatima, made national headlines as a student leader in 2019, when protests against the Modi government’s controversial citizenship amendment law erupted across campuses in the capital, New Delhi. Fatima, now 24, has since graduated and is currently an activist and India-based research assistant at the Polis Project, a New York-based research and journalism organisation.

The latest allegations to hit the family are linked to insulting remarks about the Prophet Mohammed made by two ruling party officials in late May, sparking condemnations by several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

In a cruel sequence of events emblematic of the discrimination plaguing India’s religious minorities, Islamophobic comments made by officials of a right-wing Hindu nationalist party led to the arrest of a Muslim politician and social worker, followed by the demolition of his home. The destruction was wrought by a bulldozer, an emerging symbol of the crushing might of a state shattering the rights of Muslims in a Hindu-majority nation.

Arrests in the dead of night

The Mohammad family’s misfortune began on Friday night, hours after police shot dead two protesters during street demonstrations across the country against the Islamophobic comments made by Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokeswoman, on an Indian TV station.

Sharma’s remarks, which insulted the Prophet Mohammed, sparked a diplomatic storm, with the governments of nearly 20 countries calling in their Indian envoys for an explanation. It forced the Indian government into swift damage control mode. Sharma, the familiar official voice of the BJP, was suspended last week along with another party official who tweeted her comments, which have since been deleted.

Protests nevertheless erupted on Friday in several Indian cities as well as in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh in response to the remarks. In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state governed by hardline Hindu monk and politician Yogi Adityanath, police arrested more than 200 people after the violent protests.

Shortly before 9pm on Friday, the police arrived at the Mohammad family home. “I was not at home,” recounted Umam, who works in another Indian city. “The police came to talk to my Dad. There were no charges, no warrant, nothing. They said they wanted to talk with my Dad, so he went with the police in his own vehicle.”

His father had not participated in the protests and had stayed home, posting messages calling for calm on social media, according to Umam. The police would later claim Mohammad was a “mastermind” of Friday’s violent protests. But on Friday night, after a day spent mostly indoors, the 57-year-old Muslim politician had no idea about the allegations that would be levelled against him, and so he duly complied with the police request to accompany them to the police station.

Hours later, at around 12:30am on Saturday, the police once again arrived at the family home to arrest Umam’s mother and youngest sister, 19-year-old Somaiya Fatima, in the dead of night.

“They took my mother and younger sister into custody, there was no notice, no allegations. They just intimidated my mother and sister to come with them and they were detained for 30 hours. When the police released my mother and sister, they took them to a relative’s home and told my family not to go home,” said Umam.

His father remains in detention and has been placed on a list of 10 main “conspirators” of Friday’s violence, which include prominent Muslim activists and leftist politicians.

‘It was all illegal, and it was all so fast’

The family’s physical and emotional destruction was unleashed at a dizzying speed over the weekend, when courts are closed and access to legal injunctions and stay orders is difficult.

The morning after Mohammad’s arrest, Prayagraj’s police chief informed reporters that the activist-politician was the “mastermind” of the previous day’s violence. “Police will take action against gangsters,” said the city’s top police officer in Hindi, adding, “bulldozers will also be used on illegal constructions”.

Hours later – while Mohammad, his wife and daughter were still in detention – the police pasted a notice issued by the city’s development authority on the family’s home. The notice stated the construction of the two-story structure was illegal and it would be demolished the next day at 11am local time.

“They put the notice on Saturday night. It was the weekend, the courts were closed, there was no time to go to court. My Dad, mother and sister were detained, the main people were in custody. It was all illegal, and it was all so fast. My family members were all frightened, the police were coming every two or three hours, threatening us,” recounted Umam.

Terrified and in shock, the family had no time to recover their belongings before the bulldozers arrived on Sunday afternoon.

The official harassment of Muslims accused of crimes, followed by the demolition of their homes before the justice process can take its course, is a familiar pattern that has emerged in several Indian states and territories ruled by the BJP.

It is a strategy, many experts say, conceived by a right-wing politician who has embraced the symbolism of the bulldozer for electoral gains in a country gripped by populist Hindu nationalism.

‘Bulldozer Baba’ sets a national trend

The bulldozer made a spectacular entrée on the Indian political stage in the run-up to local elections in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, considered a political launching pad for future prime ministers.

The stakes were high for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath as he campaigned for reelection early this year on a tough-on-crime platform, promising to “bulldoze thugs and mafias”. By the time the BJP swept the polls in March, Adityanath had earned the moniker “Baba Bulldozer” [Papa Bulldozer] as the construction tool became a ubiquitous feature at rallies, bearing candidates and supporters – some even buying plastic toy bulldozers for the occasion.

But it was not fun and games in Muslim neighbourhoods in BJP-ruled states.

As chief ministers of other BJP-controlled states got in on the Adityanath brand of populism, demolition squads went to work in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. In April, for instance, authorities in Madhya Pradesh razed dozens of homes and shops in a Muslim neighbourhood a day after riots erupted when supporters of Hindutva – or a Hindu nation – held a provocative religious procession through the area.

Condemning the move, Rahul Gandhi, leader of the country’s largest Congress opposition party, tweeted an image of a bulldozer juxtaposed with a screenshot of the Indian constitution, declaring the state’s actions “a demolition of India’s constitutional values”.

Meanwhile in the capital, New Delhi, a series of demolitions ripped several areas, including Shaheen Bagh, the site of a peaceful 2019 sit-in, when mostly women demonstrated against a citizenship amendment law discriminating against Muslims.

'Collective punishment' for speaking out

The demolition drives tend to follow a pattern that Seema Chisti – a leading journalist and co-author of the book “Note by Note: The India Story (1947-2017)” – calls a “bulldozer moment” in Indian history.

Under politicians such as Adityanath, Chisti explains, “all points of contact between Hindus and Muslims – eating, love, burial, religious rights – are turned into moments of conflict requiring the implementation of justice”.

While there are no provisions under Indian law to demolish the home of anyone accused of a crime, a pattern of “extrajudicial” justice has emerged, where “the political power is the judge, prosecutor, executioner and implementor of the law,” according to Chisti.

“These are homes where several lives are lived. In India especially, it’s a space shared with the wife, children, grandparents, cousins…and so this is a form of collective punishment that goes against the standards of international law and Indian law,” she explained.

Gautam Bhatia, a scholar of Indian constitutional law, traced the pattern of a protest turning violent, followed by the police identifying individuals as masterminds. “Immediately after that, the municipality declares that these individuals are residing in unauthorised buildings,” he wrote in a post on the legal website Indian Constitutional Law and Philosophy.

Typically, Bhatia noted, “the time period between the police declaring that it has identified the masterminds behind the violence, the municipality declaring that the buildings are illegal, and the actual demolition, is under twenty-four hours.”

That’s precisely what happened to the Mohammad family over the weekend. The process was so swift, Umam explained, the family did not have the time to detail obvious discrepancies in the allegations before a court of law.

The house, Umam noted, was in his mother’s name, since it was part of her dowry from his maternal grandfather. “Our house was registered with the municipal corporation. We lived in the house for 20 years, we paid all the tax bills – property, water, electricity bills, everything. Suddenly they said it was an illegal structure,” he said.

The demolition notice, he explained, was issued in the wrong name, since his father did not own the property. City authorities also claimed the family had been given a notice on May 10, which the family denies.

A lawyer for the family has filed a case with the city high court, a time-consuming process that, in India, is an ex post facto phenomenon for families already rendered homeless and often helpless by the state.

The intent of the state authorities, according to Umam, is clear. “My Dad is a social activist who was helping poor people in impoverished areas. He had no criminal record and everyone knew him for his social activism,” he said. “They just wanted to defame him. They don’t want good leaders who help society. They do not want these people to have a voice, they want to silence them.”

#nunyas news #say what you want about how the us deals with protesters #but at least we don't bulldoze peoples houses for it #which appears to be mildly common #across a lot of asia

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tellywoodtrash · 3 years

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Hi TTji, here I am with more TV digest. SP: MHRW - Amma replaced by new actor with HECK LOT foundation to 'darken' her and Raghav is TPDBD. Same plot (luck again FL, ML taking badla, FL turns innocent, ML being savior) in a loop. YRKKH - Sensible for time being. Sirat's ex is in picture. Kartik & Sirat have healthy convos. Obv Rhea is dying to break the marriage and grab most wanted Munda for herself. SNS - Most sensible leads as of yet? The show still remembers she wants education??? [1/4]

Aksjdlsakjdlskajdlskajldkjslj TPDBD has truly entered myyyyy daily vocabulary as well. It’s such an amazingggggg acronymmmm. Fitteh muh on these fucking ppl who can’t just hire one actual dark skinned actress. I hate this show without even watching it because of everything it stands for. It offends me on a personal level. 🤬🤬🤬

Ofc YRKKH mein abhi bhi shaadi ka silsila jaari hi hai. Ouff, India ke wedding industry ko iss ek hi couple ne kaayam rakha hua hai. 🤑🤑🤑

SNS ke baare mein I never cared, and I never will. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

YHC - Not Chaahat, only mystery and horror like Aahat. FL attempting to expose villains but ML blind cuz it's his true mum and step bro. Anu - Overdramatically yet sensibly depicting divorce and it's ripple effects on fam (kisses for healthy maa-beta & saas-bahu jodi). SM - Preeti is replaced by Nupur from MJHT. KT pretends to be good friend Keertan and shitty rich dude KT to Nu-*cough* Mohi/Preeti. Idk abt the kids. Imlie - Malini reacts normally seeing Imlie wear her sindoor. Finally [2/4]

NO CHAAHAT, ONLY AAHAT 🤣🤣🤣

Anupama, SM, aur Imlie reiterating the life lesson ki pyaari beheno, zindagi mein kuch bhi karo, parrr shaadi mat karo, saaaaalon tak siyaapa hi siyaapa hai. Just be single, have awesome friends and pets, aur mazze ke life jiyo.

SAAKK - FL thinks ML in love with ex. ML clears the air, tells *cough* yells I LOVE YOU DAMNIT *oh wait that was another show* but same and FL is like WOAH. PANDYA - No one realises the DISASTER getting FL forcibly married to her beloved's brother (who marries his own lover) cuz now she gotta live in the same house with her beloved but as his bhabhi? ANNS - The blind ML has been the most aware ML in ITV history. Understands to-be-wife being slighted and flips shit! Next is Zee, Sony & Colors

SAAKK ki incredibly cute FL is stuck in such a michmichi-inducing (for me) show ke mera dillllllllllllll dukhta hai. Koi isko aur GHKPM ke Sai ko bas foreign bhej do where they can do padhaai and become their best selves without being distracted by boy troubles. Sahi kehte hain desi maa-baap, padhai ke waqt ladkon ke chakkaron mein nahi padna chahiye, warna poori zindagi kharaab ho jaati hai. Abhi dekh bhi liya.

Pandya mein seeing Sonakshi from KHKT ki bitchy choti behen be one abla bechaari, and Nazar show waali achchi behen being a hellraising chantomayi is giving me whiplash. Beech mein bechaare bhaiyya-bhaabi jabaran phasein, who kinda deserve it coz honestly wtf were they thinking forcing this bloody shaadi no one wanted. 🙄🙄🙄

ANNS ka hero is wholesome bean but ouff the FL’s family (???? is it even her family? Or her sister’s sasuraal or some shit in which case, phew.) Anyway kaafi off-brand Gauri Kumari Sharma vibes mil rahe mujhe FL se toh I can’t somehow get into it yet. 😐😐😐

ZEE. Kumkum - Pragya asking fam members to help her (Abhi in jail) Rhea (the twin who hates Pragya) agrees. Kundali - Preeta has her hair perfect in jail while ML tries to fix shit. Jindri - Locking wife in room is the new way of showing love. Katti Batti - shit show from promo so no info (total biwi#1 when she should be dumping his dumb ass). Rest IDK, the plots above my head. SONY. 7 1/2 - The show has bad prod quality for some reason. Not watching. (need more space for next so see you in #5)

Yeh poora ka poora ZEE channel hi nahi chahiye mereko. Nothing on it has appealed to me since Qubool Hai and I highly doubt anything ever will. Bleargh. 🤢🤢🤢

Yeh 7 1/2 kaunsa show hai Sony pe??????? 🤔🤔🤔

KUDCA - FL runs away from marrying Veer. He hires fake bride (turns out it is FL who was briefly reunited with her bff who is now kothewaali). COLORS. Namak - Always abusive ML (can't act) now in love with FL (can act) and his family is shitty, as usual. Pinjra - Makers pulled a Main Na Bhoolungi. SSK - archaic shit is back. Shakti - ML post plastic surgery trying to convince FL that he is ML. Fans hate new actor btw. BB - Kid topped, so going to hostel? Bawara Dil - TOXIC SHIT!!! Love, Baby J

KUDCA ka main kya hi boloon, whole thing sounds like a clusterfuck.

Namak is such a weird mindfuck of a show, beech mein kuch kaala jaadoo type bhi hain. ML nafrat se pyaar tak pohunch gaya lekin majaal ho jo uske chehre pe shikan tak aaye. Someone explain to me why that Nazar waali daayan ki character is the mom to two of the ladies (who are easily in their 30s, yet mummy looks younger......... Must be all the kaala jaadoo), but everyone calls her didi, including her daughters??? Also why do these two families live together???? Why does this show exist in general??????////

Pinjra waali shaayad na bhoolegi but I sure forgot this show exists. Thank god for my brain just filtering out the info it doesn’t want and being like sorry 404, page not found. Saves me a lot of rage.

SSK mein I just need to know what new species Simar (or choti Simar, or whoever) is gonna metamorphize into. May I suggest a cow, since that’s the only animal that gets any respect and protection in this country these days.

The way I gaspeddddddddddddddd when I saw OG Anurag Basu backkkkkkkkkk??????// Bhai is on what virgin-blood-drinking regimen ki he still looks exact same???? Sir pls to share sekrits.

Bawara Dil - First I’m ever hearing of this show, and thus, I really dgaf.

#baby j ka weekly recap digest #jalebi-weds-bluetooth #tt answers

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 3 years

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Hello AJ. Shy anon here. I recently started watching MJHT and I recall you've watched the show too. I haven't gone too far ahead but I just noticed that Nupur has a lot of similarities with Khushi. (Which is funny because Sanaya is in it as Gunjan who's like such a contrast to Khushi and Nupur). The very first similarity I actually noticed was the clothing, specifically the bangles. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the show. Just any thoughts. I really enjoy when you deep dive and dissect shows and storylines. I hope you're doing well. Bye 🥰

Hello Shy Anon!!!!

Oh I love that show and its cheesiness to every bit! It had the perfect everything - romance, comedy, drama and an excellent way to show a parallel lead that rarely happens now cause the whole focus goes to literally one character...

DAMN THOSE DAYS!!!

Oh Nupur? Haye!

(long exploration of Khushi, Nupur, Mayank, Samrat under cut)

Yes, Nupur and Khushi have a LOT of similarities because:

1) They represent the classic Indian television female lead; manic pixie, colorful, quirky, witty, middle class, wears tons of jewelry such as bangles and earrings and a Bollywood loving dream girl. This is ITV’s basic template for every heroine. Nupur and Khushi are just the far better and memorable ones.

2) They’re also written by the same writer!

However in my opinion Nupur is a slightly more fleshed out and stronger character because:

- She never compromises with her self respect.

- Balances tradition and progressive thinking very well.

- Keeps grudges and demands apologies when she’s been hurt.

- Knows how to communicate.

- Allows people to depend on her as much as she depends on them.

- Is always a sister first, lover second.

- Has ambitions, career, education but ALSO loves romance, marriage, etc.

- GROWS as a character. She starts from being too eager to fit in, naive, unaware, to mature, proud of her roots, intimidating :)

- Knows when to apologize, works on her ego.

- Is fiercely independent post marriage and loves being ‘Nupur Bhushan’ as much as ‘Mrs. Mayank Sharma’.

Nupur would never work with ASR. She’d kill him. No doubt. And sue his dead body.

Also I think given she was a Star One heroine, the writer/s had more room to develop her as an independent woman as opposed to the perfect ‘bahu’ which is what star plus literally demands from all of its heroines.

Nupur never had to fit in Mayank’s household nor meet the ‘Sharma’s’ expectations unlike Khushi who is inborn with what they expect from a Raizada bahu. There’s no standard at the Sharma household. Their ‘ideal’ bahu is one who’s independent and has her own persona. Like Mayank’s mum and Nupur.

I feel Khushi would’ve been more like Nupur if IPK was made as a Star One show. She’d be a slightly calmer, more orthodox and more childlike than Nupur but yeah, actually be treated as an independent character.

Lol, I realised what a brilliant actor Sanaya was when I saw her interviews!

Also, let’s just say that Gunjan was path breaking as an ITV lead.

She’s everything you’d expect in a ‘male lead’ and so different from what they catered.

- She’s extremely intelligent, anti social, a scholar, fiercely loyal to her family, mature, pragmatic, practical and is acutely aware of her surroundings. She’s proud of who she is - even though she is intimidated of new spaces and people. A classic introvert who’s very new to Mumbai. You’ll notice later in the show that she’s a no bullshit woman and her hurt, grief lasts for years.

Unlike other female characters who go over their emotions in a flip and their hurt is never addressed, Gunjan has difficulty moving on from her pain and takes a lot of time to come to terms with her emotions. Also, she’s incredibly sorted and slightly naive about the matters of heart.

She’s so guarded that she ends up hurting the person she loves.

Now I feel ASR and Gunjan would be excellent friends if they met in college. Their personalities and pride on education and intelligence is at par - they’re equals if you ask me.

AND COMING TO MY FAVORITE BOIS - MAYANK AND SAMRAT.

SAMRAT IS MY ETERNAL LOVE. THEIR BROMANCE IS EVERYTHING AND SAMRAT IS THE SWEETEST PUP WITH THE MOST EPIC CHARACTER GROWTH. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY. HE IS THE BEST MALE HERO ON TELEVISION. BOY IS JUST... SO FREAKING NICE. BEING HOT DOES NOT MEAN YOU’RE A DICK. HE’S HOT AND SWEET AND EVERYTHING!!!!

Mayank, I love him. Again, I feel he’s a very mellowed version of ASR. Quick to judge, “once good opinion lost, then lost forever” types (*cough* Darcy), attached to his mum, does not take being lied to very well, is very single focused, slightly self absorbed, refuses feelings for like a billion years, likes being ‘self made’ and is proud of who he is. Also, secretly loves challenges *lol*

In my eyes MJHT, despite being kitschy, cheesy, very 2000s with a barely passable wardrobe, remains as a much superior show than IPK just in terms of writing and characters. Yeah, they do have shit plots in between and you go WTF but in general they never really compromise on the female nor male leads. I mean I wish they went a hundred episodes less but still...

They really focus on fostering a healthy relationship between all the important characters and not just love, but also - most importantly - friendship. In that way, it was incredibly mature writing. I will defend this show with my last breath! AND CAN I SAY THIS SHOW HAD AN ENDING? LIKE A PROPER ENDING?

THEIR ENDING WAS THE EXACT REVERSE OF THE FIRST PROMO MJHT EVER RELEASED AND I CRIED. *spoiler no spoiler but if you can ever search for the “love bole toh...” promo then you’ll know what I mean when you’re done with the show*

I’ll tell you where IPK surpasses MJHT - production value, subtlety, background scoring, direction and chemistry. Like Samrat/Gunjan, Mayank/Nupur will give you all the feelz for sure (and I was so damn excited when I learned that Mohit and Sanaya are a real life couple) but there’s something different with Arnav and Khushi. You can’t tear your eyes away from them and I think it’s because Sanaya and Barun are... brilliant actors.

Barun, especially, is a rare gem.

But apart from that, enjoy MJHT and keep me posted! Also you should write to @leila1 - she’s another MJHT lover like us!!!

THANK YOU FOR THROWING ME BACK INTO MY BACHPAN FEELZ

#ask #shy anon #mjht #jalebi's fav show #MY FEELZ DURING MJHT #MY FAV 2000s SHOW #the perfect cheesiness

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hindimaster · 2 years

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Breaking News Live Update monsoon session Nupur Sharma pm modi Ayodhya eknath shinde

Breaking News Live Update 19th July’ 2022: संसद के मॉनसून सत्र का आज दूसरा दिन है. कांग्रेस और अन्य विपक्षी दल आज एक बार फिर मंहगाई के मुद्दे पर सरकार को घेर सकते हैं. पहले दिन राज्यसभा में इस मामले पर हंगामा हुआ जबकि लोकसभा की कार्यवाही ज्यादा समय तक नहीं चल पाई. आज कांग्रेस ने मंहगाई के मुद्दे पर संसद भवन प्रांगड़ में विरोध प्रदर्शन करने का ऐलान किया है. जहां तक विधायी कामों का सवाल है. मंगलवार…

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artijaihind · 2 years

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Breaking News - Nupur Sharma Reprimanded by Supreme Court: नूपुर को सुप्रीम कोर्ट की फटकार; कहा- इस बात के लिए देश से माफी मांगें

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thewrosper · 4 years

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Yash Raj Films turns 50: Actors who began their film career with the production house, from Anushka Sharma to Ranveer Singh

Yash Raj Films, founded by late filmmaker Yash Chopra, is currently in its 50th year. The production house, popularly known for its romantic dramas and colourful palette, has experimented with its offerings over the years, particularly when Aditya Chopra took over. From stylised action dramas to films set in small-town India, YRF has brought many a flavour to the big screen. Through a series of throwbacks, we will celebrate the legacy of the production house across the year. Before the coronavirus outbreak shook the world, YRF was scheduled to launch three new faces in their 50th year in 2020. These includes Sharvari, who was seen in Kabir Khan's Amazon Prime Video India Original show The Forgotten Army opposite Sunny Kaushal. She will make her Hindi film debut with Bunty Aur Babli 2, opposite Siddhant Chaturvedi.

Sharvari, Shalini Pandey, and Manushi Chhillar Similarly, Shalini Pandey, who was noticed in Sandeep Vanga Reddy's 2017 romantic drama Arjun Reddy opposite Vijay Devarakonda, will make her Hindi film debut opposite yet another YRF find, Ranveer Singh, in the comedy Jayeshbhai Jordaar. And Manushi Chhillar, Miss World 2017, will make her long-awaited screen debut opposite Akshay Kumar in Chandraprakash Dwiwedi's historical drama Prithviraj. Now, a major chunk of the credit must go to the recurring casting director of the production house, Shanoo Sharma. She joined YRF in 2011, that coincided with an infusion of fresh blood into the studio. While introducing new directors was a norm since 2000s, the 2010s saw a surge in new faces, some of whom subsequently became A-list stars. The A-list wagon Anushka Sharma YRF had introduced new faces since 1970 but those were few and far between. None of them, despite making promising debuts, went on to register themselves as A-list stars. Yash Chopra can be credited with his share of finds like Poonam Dhillon and Saif Ali Khan but their debut films Trishul and Parampara were produced by Gulshan Rai and Firoz A Nadiadwala respectively, not YRF. The first major star to debut in a YRF film turned out to be the game-changer Anushka Sharma, who was cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Aditya Chopra's 2008 directorial Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. She played the role of Taani, a submissive homemaker who finds herself in a marriage without will and finds an unlikely partner in a dance class.

Anushka maintains the film changed her life as she went on to become an A-list star and a producer herself, under the banner of Clean Slate Filmz. "Adi (Aditya Chopra) used to say that we have taken you because you can stand on your own against anyone. Yash ji had also said the same. For a young person like me to hear that was a huge confidence booster. The only reason I was so confident when I did the film is because I was so prepared. Confidence comes because you work so hard," she said to Press Trust of India. Anushka's three-film deal with YRF (a banner ritual since then) included Parmeet Sethi's 2010 directorial debut Badmaash Company and Maneesh Sharma's cult romantic comedy Band Baaja Baaraat. She was later seen in YRF films like Sharma's 2011 heist drama Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Yash Chopra's 2012 romantic drama Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ali Abbas Zafar's 2016 sports drama Sultan, and Sharat Kataria's 2018 film Sui Dhaaga: Made in India. Ranveer Singh Ranveer made his debut in the lead role opposite Anushka in Band Baaja Baaraat. The film catapulted Ranveer into the A-league, inviting comparison with the flavour of the season, Ranbir Kapoor, who was interestingly the first choice for the role. Ranveer played Bittoo, a brash Dilli ka launda, who collaborates with Anushka's character to start a wedding planning business, but ends up falling for her. He made the body language and accent of Bittoo so memorable that it took a while to let it sink in that Ranveer was actually a born and raised in Mumbai.

It is common knowledge that Karan Johar was doubtful about Anushka's prospects before the release of her debut film, but Aditya Chopra kept a check on Ranveer's expectation as well. He told the actor, "You’re not the most good looking guy. You have to do some good acting if you want people to like you." Of course, Ranveer then went on to feature in YRF films like Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Ali Abbas Zafar's 2004 buddy crime drama Gunday, Shaad Ali's 2014 action comedy Kill Dil, and Aditya Chopra's 2016 romantic comedy Befikre. Parineeti Chopra Interestingly, Parineeti was a public relations consultant in YRF before she was spotted by Shanoo for one of the four love interests of Ranveer's character in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. She stood out for her spoilt Delhi girl portrayal, and went on to do Habib Faisal's 2014 action romance Ishaqzaade as the female lead.

Parineeti, who was already shooting for Ishaqzaade when her debut film released, was called by Yash Chopra, who thanked her for being part of his film. Parineeti was later seen in several YRF films like Maneesh's 2013 romantic drama Shuddh Desi Romance, Habib's 2014 food film Daawat-e-Ishq, Kill Dill, Akshoy Roy's 2017 directorial debut Meri Pyaari Bindu, and the upcoming Dibakar Banerjee film Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Arjun Kapoor

Arjun was supposed to make his debut in a film produced under Y Films, a subsidiary of YRF. But Aditya Chopra then cast him instead as Parma, the male lead in Ishaqzaade, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's iconic play Romeo & Juliet. Arjun was subsequently seen in YRF films like the 2013 crime drama Aurangzeb, Gunday, and will appear in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Vaani Kapoor

Vaani's performance in her debut film, a supporting character in Shudh Desi Romance, remains her best till date. Later, she was seen as the female lead in films like 2014 Tamil flick Aaha Kalyanam, Befikre, and most recently Siddharth Anand's 2019 espionage thriller War. She will next be seen opposite Ranbir in Karan Malhotra's dacoit drama Shamshera. Bhumi Pednekar Bhumi, a former assistant to Shanoo, auditioned for Sharat's 2015 romantic drama Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She was asked to gain weight tremendously to play Sandhya, a plus-sized wife to Ayushmann Khurrana's character.

The film not only solidified Bhumi-Ayushmann as a dependable onscreen pair but also established Bhumi as an A-league actress. She has not been seen in a YRF film since her debut but has chosen to mix it up with a wide range of banners, directors, and roles. However, she continues to be represented by YRF. Other noticeable debuts Farah, actress Tabu's sister, got her big break in Hindi cinema through Yash Chopra's 1985 directorial Faasle. She later appeared in several films till 2005 but could never break the glass ceiling like her younger sister did. Mandira Bedi and Parmeet Sethi were introduced as supporting actors in Aditya Chopra's iconic 1995 romantic drama Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. They played siblings and the quintessential third vertex in the love triangles involving the protagonists Simran (Kajol) and Raj (Shah Rukh Khan). While they continue to act in films, they have not really made it big in the industry. Parmeet was last seen in Ruchi Narain's Disney+ Hotstar show Hundred, and Mandira appeared in Sujeeth's 2019 multilingual action entertainer Saaho. The Mohabbatien brigade in 2000 saw Aditya Chopra introduce as many as four newcomers, including his younger brother Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Kim Sharma, and Preeti Jhangiani. All of them formed a stellar ensemble, along with Jugal Hansraj, Jimmy Sheirgill, SRK, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Archana Puran Singh, Anupam Kher, and Helen. None of the newcomers are active actors today. Uday works in the backend of YRF, and was last noticeably seen in the Dhoom franchise. Shamita last appeared as a finalist in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 10. In 2002, Tulip Joshi made her debut with Sanjay Gadhvi's romantic comedy Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai. However, she went into oblivion after Anant Mahadevan's 2004 film Dil Maange More, opposite Shahid Kapoor. The same year, Sandhya Mridul graduated from television to films with a supporting role in Shaad Ali's Saathiya. She has appeared sporadically on screen since then, and last appeared in Ajay Bahl's 2019 courtroom drama Section 375 in films and ALTBalaji and ZEE5 show Mentalhood. Sagarika Ghatge was lauded for her portrayal of Preeti Sabarwal, an ambitious Indian hockey player in Shimit Amin's 2006 sports drama Chak De! India, alongside SRK, who played the coach. She has appeared in a few films since then, and is now married to Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan. Gauhar Khan and Shazahn Padamsee made their debut together in Amin's 2009 film Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, alongside Ranbir. Gauhar was last seen, in yet another corporate comedy, in the Hindi adaptation of The Office last year on Hotstar. Shazahn, however, was last seen way back in Sajid Khan's 2012 ensemble comedy Housefull 2. Meiyang Chang, who rose to fame with reality shows like Indian Idol and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, appeared in a few YRF films but was the most noticed in Badmaash Company. Saqib Saleem was introduced in Nupur Asthana's 2010 film Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, produced under Y Films. He has since then appeared in several noteworthy films like Karan Johar's short film in Bombay Talkies, Rohit Dhawan's 2016 film Dishoom, Remo D'Souza's 2018 action drama Race 3, and will be seen in Kabir Khan's sports drama 83 later this year. Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi got a break in Kanu Behl's 2014 directorial debut Titli. They later reunited for Amazon Prime Video India Original show Made in Heaven last year. He last appeared in Geethu Mohandas' critically acclaimed gangster drama Moothon in 2019, and she was noticed in short film Devi earlier this year. The bad guys from the Mardaani franchise, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vishal Jethwa, made remarkable debuts when they locked horns with Rani Mukerji's lead character. Both won awards for their breakthroughs, and Tahir later appeared in Nandita Das' 2018 critically acclaimed period drama Manto and Nitesh Tiwari's 2019 blockbuster Chhichhore. Unlikely acting turns Filmmaker Karan Johar and costume designer-cum-stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania made unexpected acting debuts as Raj and Simran's friends in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. This was three years before Johar made his directorial debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He, of course, later appeared in a few acting roles, most notably as the antagonist in Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet. Anaita continues to be an ace stylist, and made only one fleeting appearance as Saif Ali Khan's love interest Geeta in Nikkhil Advani's 2003 film Kal Ho Naa Ho. Stand-up comedian Abish Mathew played Ayushmann Khurrana's friend in Meri Pyaari Bindu. His role mostly seemed like an extension of his persona off-screen. He has not appeared in any film yet, and continues to be busy with his gigs and show Son of Abish. Read the full article

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Judicial Approach on Freedom of Media and Media Trial

What is media?

Media is a collective communication tool which includes publishing, broadcasting and the Internet through several mediums like radio, television, newspaper etc. Among all other duties the main duty of media is to create sense of awareness among general public regarding the democratic and social duties and responsibilities. Media is termed as the “fourth pillar” of democracy and it makes accountable the other three pillars of democracy i.e. “executive, legislature and judiciary”. It is expected that the information provided by media will be impartial and unbiased and media should transmit information to us rather than making personal views or opinions on that subject because media has utter prominence over the minds of public and public get easily influenced by the media streaming. But sometimes media misuses its power by making it a concoction of news, information and own opinions, which is often termed as media trial.[1]

What does that trial mean?-

According to Oxford English Dictionary, “trial” means, a formal examination of evidence by judge, typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings. This definition clearly reflect that media is not eligible enough to conduct a trial.

In this exponentially evolving competitive market, the media often misconstrues and misrepresents the original facts and engages in tabloid journalism to get high target rating point (TRP) and to grab the attention of the public. There are many incidences and high profile cases where media conducts a trial of an accused even before the verdict is passed by the court. Thus it infuriated the atmosphere around, which makes public reckless about their opinions and makes the accused look like guilty in public perception. [2]This is the sole reason why Media trial is not accepted and appreciated in a democratic society.

The Delhi High Court in a suo motu case observed that in our slow judicial system of conducting trials, the accused many a time is subjected to media trial and there is no legal remedy to it. And in such case no one claims any relief to this by “injunction” or for “damages”. Here the Court has no other option to protect the aggrieved individual’s rights and reputation from except” by being more vigilant and pro-active. We know that “Right to fair trial” in a “criminal prosecution” is impliedly mentioned under the “right to life” guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It is proven that if the criminal proceedings are not just and fair, then judicial fairness cannot be achieved.

Fair trial involves independent judges, public hearing, the presumption of innocence, right to counsel and many other factors.[3] The proceedings of a case are expected to be conducted by impartial, independent and competent Judges to ensure the fair trial. Public hearing is also included under the concept of fair trial.

Role of Media in Democratic Society–

As per the Constitution of India “right to know” falls under fundamental principle. Although the freedom of press is not explicitly mentioned anywhere but the Supreme Court of India explained through cases that this “right to know” forms the base of the “freedom of the press”. The Supreme Court declared that the primary objective of the press is to provide all-inclusive and exhaustive information on all kinds of political, social, economic and cultural situations in the country. It also stated that the primary motive of media in a democracy will be promoting transparency.[4]

Media and Freedom of Speech and Expression–

As it is said earlier that freedom of media is not deliberately mentioned anywhere in the Part Ⅲ of the Indian Constitution which contains fundamental rights and freedoms. But it finds its root to Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India which validates “freedom of speech and expression”.

Why Is Freedom of Media/ Press Not Markedly Stated in Indian Constitution?

To answer this question we have to go back to the earlier debates of the Constituent Assembly, where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said that Press does not enjoy any special rights which are not devoted to individual citizens to handle and operate in their regular lives. The editor of a press or the manager just exercises the right of the expression, and this the main reason why freedom of press is not specially mentioned in the Constitution.[5]

Freedom of media is not unconditional and absolute and like any other platform, free press is also restricted with the shackled of some limitations stated in Article 19 (2) of the Constitution and those “limits” flow from the “right to privacy”, “right to reputation”, the law of “contempt of court” etc. So, the press cannot use its “freedom of speech and expression” as an excuse to infringe anyone’s privacy and it has to be accountable to Court if it excoriates a person in a libelous manner. In the same way, the press should not indulge in “contempt of court” by taking up parallel trials when a trial is going on before a court of law. Media does not have a clear idea about the rules and regulations of citing evidence and does not know which evidences are enough to declare an accused as a convict.

There is a famous Latin maxim: Audi alteram partem, which means no side of a case will be unheard and both parties will be given a chance to defend themselves but while the media is just concerned about their prime time breaking news, an accused doesn’t get the chance to speak for himself usually and it hampers the principle of natural justice.

Starting from the age of “Bengal Gazette”, “Sambad Koumudi”, “Yugantar”, “Amritabajar Patrika” journalism merged as a noble profession where journalists used to work with braveness, integrity and impartially to serve the nation but in this current era of obtaining highest TRP, accused often goes through mental turmoil, his reputation gets shattered and the whole family suffers with him/her too. And thus the “media trial” has moved to “media verdict” which clearly indicates the misuse of freedom of speech.

An Analysis of The Effect of Media Trial on Some Prominent Cases and Developments In Recent Times

JESSICA LAL MURDER CASE –

Facts of the case:

On April 29, 1999; a model named Jessica Lal was murdered. On a Thursday night when Jessica Lal was working as a “bartender” at the “Tamarind Court” restaurant situated in Delhi was shot by a gun which resulted in her death. Her friend and an actor Shayan Munshi was also working with her. Manu Sharma, who is the son of Minister Venod Sharma, ordered a drink in that bar, to which Jessica Lal refused. After being offered of Rs. 1000 for a single drink, Jessica refused to serve again. After this, Manu Sharma took out his revolver fired at the ceiling and then at her. She was taken to the hospital immediately but died after some time due to excessive blood loss. Manu Sharma swiftly went out of the bar after shooting Jessica. Though many witnesses pointed Sharma as the culprit, Police could not arrest Manu Sharma immediately because he was hidden with the help of his friends and also destroyed the prime evidence i.e. revolver. But to the great shock, when the trial finally began in the month of August, 1999; the main witnesses Shayan Munshi became hostile. Afterwards other witnesses also turned indifferent to the case by the year 2000 and the trial court released Manu Sharma because the police could not recover the gun used in the act as the main event and the ballistic report was also not submitted.

Role of media:

The media actively sincerely started to publish and broadcast the issue and also directly claimed that Manu Sharma’s father was influencing the police by misusing his power. The High Court of New Delhi in December, 2006, declared Sharma. In the meanwhile, it was revealed by a sting operation conducted by a newspaper “TEHELKA” that Venod Sharma bribed Shayan Munshi to keep them away from the case. The channels also inveigled the common public throughout the country to send texts and mails concerning their views about the trial and media started a parallel trial. Manu Sharma’s defense lawyer Ram Jethmalani argued in the Supreme Court that the media scorned and maligned his client “before and during the proceedings”.[6]

The Court admitted that although the accused was getting influenced due to the remarks of “trial by media” regardless of the fact that the impact was not spreaded to a great extent.[7] The Court also held that in this media is not affecting the accused as such but if this role of media is not regulated and restricted in a positive boundary then it may lead to a serious risk in future causing “contempt of court” where the media will not even set back from forging false evidences.

So the law and governance need to check that the “trial by media” does not act as a hindrance to fair investigation and does not infringe the right of defense of the accused.[8]

NOIDA DOUBLE MURDER CASE

Facts of the case:

This case is well known by another name i.e. Aarushi Talwar murder case where a fourteen-year-old girl Aarushi Talwar and a forty-five-year-old Hemraj Baanjade was murdered and the case is still unsolved. Aarushi was the only child of Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Dr. Nupur Talwar and Hemraj was their domestic worker who lived with them. On 16 May 2008, Aarushi’s parents found her body and the main accused of the event, servant Hemraj who was missing. But on the next day itself, Hemraj was found dead on the terrace. Failure to secure the crime scene brought heavy criticism to the police.

When Hemraj was found dead, the police accused Rajesh Talwar as the prime suspect because they thought that Rajesh has killed both of them after seeing them in a “compromising” position.

Afterwards the case was transferred to the CBI, which initially declared the parents innocent and suspected Krishna Thadarai, the compounder in Rajesh Talwar’s clinic, Rajkumar, the domestic help of Talwar’s friends based on the narcotest but they were also released due to scarcity of evidence. In 2009 again, the case was referred to a new CBI team but they proposed to close it due to the same reason.

Rajesh Talwar was contemplated as the sole suspect due to the circumstantial evidence and the CBI Court declared the parents guilty and they were sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2017, Allahabad High Court acquitted the Talwar couple giving them benefit of doubt. [9]

Role of media:

Afterwards this, the print and electronic media started their outcry by encumbering all the newspapers and channels with the news of Aarushi Talwar’s murder. It was very unfortunate to see the insensitivity of media in reporting this case. The dramatizations in several channels objectified and defamed a dead minor girl and showed simulating objectionable scenes of Aarushi and Hemraj together and Rajesh coming with a golf club and hitting them. All such acts of media completely distraught the reputation of the dead girl, her parents and all those people whose names were mentioned in several shows.[10]

Aggrieved and shocked to see the role played by media here, Dr. Surat Singh, an advocate, filed a PIL and the Supreme Court took this very seriously. The Court reprimanded both print and electronic media to be aware of the prejudicial steps they are taking because it was meddling with the “right to defence of the accused”.

The Supreme Court ordered restraint on “published material which may interfere with the investigation process in respect of all cases.” 104 And this whole event was strongly lambasted by many as “trial by media”.[11]

SUNANDA PUSHKAR DEATH CASE –

Facts of the case:

Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of renowned politician Shashi Tharoor, was found dead in a hotel at Delhi on January 17, 2014. After recovering the body, Delhi police informed Shashi Tharoor about the death. In the initial reports claimed that she committed suicide but later on it was found out that there were also injury marks on the body and ultimately the autopsy report depicted drugs were consumed in high quantity and it resulted into death. By October 2014, the medical team concluded that the death was due to poisoning. After receiving the final report the police filed an FIR for this murder case against an anonymous person on January, 2015.[12]

Role of media:

On the very same day of the death of Sunanda Pushkar, without any delay, the media reached the scene and started its trial and when the Delhi Police Commissioner refused to label Tharoor as the prime suspect, the media declared Shashi Tharoor as the murderer. Some of the media houses were using confidential medical reports and some forged statement made by any distant cousin of Pushkar claiming Tharoor was the murderer. [13]Here the journalists were playing almost every part like that of an autopsy surgeon, cop, scientist, investigator, forensic expert to validate their stance.

In 2017, after suffering from such media trial, Shashi Tharoor filed a defamation suit in Delhi High Court against a well known media house. The Court held that the media houses and journalists are free to state facts and information related to the investigation, maintaining the balance between media trial and freedom of expression but cannot declare Shashi Tharoor to be the murderer.109 The Court also declared that after a criminal investigation starts, the media needs to be more cautious and sensitive and the “press” cannot declare anyone convict or insinuate anyone guilty or make any kind of unsubstantiated claims.[14]

TARUN TEJPAL SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE

Facts of the case:

In 2017, the chief editor of “Tehelka” Mr. Tarun Tejpal was accused of raping by a woman journalist who worked with Tejpal and accused him of sexually assaulting her in an elevator in a five-star hotel in Goa during conference named “Think Fest” which was organized by “Tehelka”. In June 2017, a trial court in Goa restricted the publication of the court proceedings and it held that the proceedings will take place in-camera.

Role of media:

On 28 May 2018, a famous news channel broadcasted CCTV footage in prime time show, clearly depicting Tarun Tejpal and the complainant together. The channel did not comprehend for a sector that this kind of move can infringe the “rights of the accused” or the “privacy of the complainant”. It is one of the various evidences in the trial and to determine any party’s guilt or innocence from that tape was a gross guesswork.

Supreme Court lawyer Rebecca Mammen responded that such intentional violation of some rights and duties by media can manipulate people’s mind negatively and she also stated that Section 327 (2) and (3) of The Code of Criminal Procedure commends to conduct Rape trials in camera. So it shall not be lawful for any person to print or publish any matter in relation to that matter, except with the previous permission of the court of public viewing of the footage.[15]

After a lot of criticism, the media house deleted all the debates, discussions and other online videos from its website. Though all these actions of media made it almost impossible to run the trial smoothly and it caused havoc damage to reputation the parties of the case held in society. Conclusion

From all the cases discussed above, not only judicial approach is clear but it is also clear that media has huge power to influence the subconscious thinking and perception power of general public and it is clear from the following percentage statistics.

There are over 100,000 publications registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India with a combined circulation of over 240 million copies in the whole country. And almost 87% of the population of India is connected through electronic media.

We are sure that journalism, as a whole, is not decaying and there are ample chances to direct it in the right way. In the recent past, some big frauds and criminal rackets came to notice due to the efforts of media only. But the media needs to keep in mind that the freedom it is enjoying, has to be utilized for greater public good rather than clouding their perception and thoughts with the target of snagging utmost attention on news items which may not be of public interest, only for the purpose of excelling in the competition to be on the top.

[1] Ayesha Khalid, Media as a Fourth Pillar of Democracy (2016), https://ift.tt/2PEMZfr.

[2] R. K. Anand v. Delhi High Court, (2009) 8 SCC 106.

[3] K. Anbazhagan v. Superintendent of Police, AIR 2004 SC 524.

[4] In Re: Harijai Singh and Anr.; In Re: Vijay Kumar, (1996) 6 SCC 466.

[5] B.R. Ambedkar, CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS)- VOLUME VII (1948), https://ift.tt/3ipgoqp.

[6] J. Venkatesan, Supreme Court confirms life term to Manu Sharma (2010), The Hindu.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Sidhartha Vashisht v. State (NCT of Delhi), AIR 2010 SC 2352.

[9] Aniruddha Ghosal & Kaunain Sheriff M., Aarushi Talwar murder case: Key evidences that caught attention (2018), The Indian Express.

[10] Shoma Chaudhury, Aarushi Talwar murder case verdict is a chance for cops, courts and media to say: never again (2017), DailyO

[11] Marco Margaritoff, Inside The Still-Unsolved Murder Of 13-Year-Old Aarushi Talwar (2019), https://ift.tt/2LNJaE1

[12] Raj Sekhar, Sunanda Pushkar was murdered: Delhi Police (2015), The Times Of India.

[14] Republic TV can report on Tharoor, can’t compel him to speak on Pushkar death: HC, (2017), The News Minute.

[15] Manu Sebastian, Times Now’s Parallel Trial In Tejpal Case Blatantly Interfered With Justice (2018), The Wire.

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