By Ritwik Trivedi
The absurd and erratic manner of reporting in the case of the late Sushant Singh Rajput, is appalling. Media trial was one of many exercises taken up for tarnishing Rhea’s character and reputation in the film industry. Day in and day out, the country’s premier news corporations and broadcasters went after her. Panelists were picked keeping in mind the choice of the content to significantly arouse our passions and call to our collective conscience. In the name of justice for Sushant, the media exploited our beliefs and our emotions, effectively making a mockery of his tragic demise.
Attempts were never made by the same ‘media’ to delve deeper into the said matter. Rhea became their favourite punching bag for purely arbitrary, seemingly incomprehensible reasons. Sure, there may have been issues between the couple. But theories that propound a narrative of Rhea manipulating and managing Sushant is highly condemnable and uncalled for. Rhea in an interview to a private news channel had confessed that Sushant was shaken after the #Metoo campaign. Charges were levelled against him by his Dil Becchara co-star Sanjana Sanghi. Blind articles were penned against him by freelancers in Mumbai aimed at maiming his prospects and reputation in the film industry.
Sushant was never even was nominated for any of the film fare awards, which are widely believed to be stage managed by the crème de la crème of Bollywood. His films like Chicchore and MS Dhoni-The Untold Story did brilliant business at the box office. But the lack of opportunities and recognition inspite of his prowess is what made Sushant almost lose his track and direction.
Rhea seems to have genuinely been a companion who stood by his side but for some reason is bearing the brunt of it. Just like Sushant she is also an outsider in this industry and her achievements are a result of hard labour. She was forced to withdraw herself from the scene when the Media relentlessly began to hold her responsible for Sushant’s death, even pin it on her. The media in a rush for creating headlines manufactured a chronology of events responsible for Sushant’s ill-fated act on June 14th.
Why did Rhea leave Sushant? Didn’t she love him? Was she taking him for a ride?
These were the tag lines consistently been impressing upon the imagination of the viewers. Her privacy was rudely done interfered with and compromised. She was maliciously tagged by un-speakable terms on account of her by then viral WhatsApp chats with Mahesh Bhatt. Mahesh Bhatt’s film became the most disliked trailer on YouTube. The basic premise of my argument is that just like Sushant she also had to undergo a lot of mental stress, trauma, and anxiety. Nobody from Rhea’s close circle identified themselves with her in this moment of grief and crisis. She has been abused and intimidated owing to continuing media trials and investigations by multiple agencies- CBI, ED, and NCB for criminal conspiracy, money laundering and drug connections..
Remember, she is fighting it all by herself and deserves at least basic decency on our part of being awarded an occasion of being heard before we declare our judgment on her
It is not on us to become the judges and jury in this case!