More than Deepikas cleavage, BT Editor exposed herself MUMBAI BUZZ

MUMBAI: What could have been handled gracefully as a journalistic misjudgment is now a brazen show of arrogance unleashed against an actor, a low blow that tries to s**t shameDeepika Padukone for protesting against a lumpen interpretation of a picture which reduced her from a person to a titillating body part.

But why blame Priya Gupta for bad journalism? She's actually not even a journalist. Then who - or what - the heck is she? Good question. And another good question is that why Priya Gupta is so titillated by Deepika's cleavage? We'll come to that later.

First things first. Till not too long ago, the lady in question was a brand manager on the corporate side of Bombay Times and responsible for making revenue power points rather than writing news articles. Today, she lays claim to being the Managing Editor of all the Times of India supplements across the country, including Bombay Times.

But guess what happens when a woman with no journalistic experience somehow manages to plant herself at the top of the food chain in India's most followed entertainment daily? She discovers she's the odd-woman-out, surrounded by the best talent in the business who are silently wondering what the hell she's doing in the newsroom.

Not surprisingly, it didn't make for friendly relations between her and the senior staff. But when you have the almighty power to do as you please - of course, all in the name of cost cutting - who's to stop you from becoming a one-woman firing squad?

The sheer number of lay-offs, transfers and resignations witnessed in Bombay Times since Priya Gupta took over as the de-facto editor has shocked even outsiders.

When you can't write to save your life, the safest option for survival seems to be surrounding yourself with mediocrity that allows you to shine a bit. The sole exception is the presence of the very experienced and once respected Meena Iyer in the newsroom - apparently reduced to a rubber stamp, but clinging on despite the daily humiliation she sobs about to friends outside the office.

To call Priya Gupta the terror of Times House would perhaps be an understatement. Such is the influence she's seen to wield that even the more powerful editors in the group have buckled. In fact, we hear one particular woman editor with an otherwise fearsome reputation herself offered to personally rewrite her articles to make them readable.

It's a good idea when insiders know that your unsubbed copy about Deepika Padukone some time back mentioned her being a "batminton" champion. She apparently even got into an argument about it. "Why badminton? It's played with a bat, na?" Oh, well.

STICKING TO BREAST PRACTICES

If sex sells and you decide to hire an over ambitious saleswoman to head your "Promotional and Advertorial" supplement, why blame her alone for opening a ticket counter to stare at Deepika's breasts?

If Priya Gupta is the queen bee of Bombay Times it's because she represents its new culture and mindset better than any professional journalist can hope to match. Which is why her personal misogynistic and sexist bluster gets published as the official view point on the front page of Bombay Times.

The first time Gupta ventures beyond the Q&A format in which she asked filmstars "How did you enter films?" or the more profound "Tell me about your childhood" and her own mental cleavage stands revealed.

Here's what Priya Gupta had to say...and what some Mumbaiwallas had to say in reply

1. "What about all the times, and there have been many, when you have flaunted your body off screen"
   Well, what about them? I mean, really, what the f**k is that supposed to mean? Does Deepika's off screen life give Priya Gupta the right to question her morals?

2. "We believe there's no shame in Deepika showing off her body"
   Of course not. Especially when you stand to make tons of money from her tits. No shame in that either, eh?

3. "Deepika, who began her career as a calendar girl' for a liquor brand...
   Ah. That was a give-away. So calendar girls really can't complain about being commodifed and having their cleavage shots sold to lecherous millions by Bombay Times? By the way Priya Gupta, what exactly did you begin your career as?

4. "Deepika, just for the record, we do not zoom into a woman's vagina or show her nipples"
We now bow down and thank the Lord for small mercies. And of course the reason BT pixilates vaginas and nipples shots is because it violates your own personal moral code?

5. "This has obviously been great publicity for you, timed perfectly with the release of your new film"
Is that so? Which means a major loss of revenue for Bombay Times which appointed you specifically to ensure film related publicity fills the company coffers. Methinks the lady should be sacked for this alone.

If you have any comments to share, please write in to: editor@mumbaiwalla.com

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