Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan
It’s no secret that we are a celebrity-obsessed nation. Right from who is going out with whom to what they are wearing to what they like to eat-we can rattle off facts about our favorite stars in a way that can put Wikipedia to shame.
So no wonder that when celebrities fight, it becomes breaking news and the Internet is divided into camps. Like in the case of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan. Farah Khan and SRK. The names are too many to list. But there is a growing feeling that mudslinging is fast becoming the new marketing strategy when it comes to tinsel town.
“Nothing is what it seems,” says Priya V K, lead assistant manager in an MNC. “While initially celebrity spats were rare and used to evoke curiosity, now they have become common place. Social media has made it easy for even the smallest of tiffs to be blown out of proportion and people know just how to take advantage of that.”
“I feel public fights are the easiest way to getting your 15 minutes of fame. Which is why a lot of minor celebrities deliberately pick on major stars; it is just their way of placing themselves on the media radar and not because they actually have anything substantial to say,” says Chithira Pillai, an MNC professional.
The devil is in the details and the focus should be on the timing, is the general opinion. When recently Kangana raked up an old controversy, she found fewer supporters than last time because of a rumour that it was a promotional gimmick for her new movie.
“People try to cash in on their feuds with fellow stars by giving explosive interviews later on, releasing a diss track and more,” adds Chithira. “Catfights and temper tantrums are common but sometimes the business interests are too obvious.”
The downside is that genuine grievances and important issues sometimes get sidelined because of the distrust associated with celebrities now. “There are many issues like gender discrimination, misogyny, wage gap and more which stars sometime talk about. But because everything is seen through this lens of doubt and skepticism, we don’t take them seriously. Talent takes a backseat when the focus is on such gossip,” says Amarnath.
“Twitter sees someone or the other making a controversial statement every other day. A fair share of these may target other artistes. They are misusing the privilege they have and we, the audience, are partly to blame for that,” he adds.