Is Decency Dead?… Article on Harshad/Prem

Is Decency Dead?…

You couldn't have missed it!

It was that large in daily papers - and it was one of those obituaries announcing the dead with a typical format of the deceased's face in centre-space and a Gita Shlok pasted above it.

And you couldn't have missed the face here!
That was Harshad Chopra, now a household name because of his playing Prem in Balaji's Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil.

You couldn't have also helped being stunned!
Harshad – the winsome, handsome Harshad dead? But that's how it seemed. Actually, the first look at this obit instantly hit you with two images – Harshad's face and Star Plus logo. And you would be too stupefied to look any further.

That's exactly what happened to us and we had the shock of our life at such a young life ending so suddenly. The paper in hand, we darted to our publisher's room, 'cause Shashi Ranjan knew Harshad closely. One look at the paper and he, too, was jolted numb, gaping at the face. With moisture welling up in his eyes, he whispered about the good boy Harshad always was.

Suddenly, our editor, Anu Ranjan stormed in – 'Did you see that?' We nodded miserably, 'Yeah – it's sad!' 'It's the pits!' she fumed.

'What's that?' we were flummoxed! 'How could they do it?' her tone was spitting fire.

'Why?' said Shashi, 'It's a good thing that they cared to post homage to the dead boy who was their actor!'

'Oh, rubbish!' said an outraged Anu, 'They did nothing of the sort! It's an advertisement – a ploy to raise TRP's for the day's episode!'

'Really?' we went hoarse with horror!

And then it came back to us – in all its ugly actualities. Yes, it was an advertisement – an unabashed and ungainly trick played on readers for attracting a few eyeballs more for that evening's episode.

We were speechless!

How could anyone even think about it? How could anyone be so cruelly insensitive?? How could anyone stoop so low for business gains?

While turning a young boy into an object of public obituary in the spring of his life, they did not care a hoot as to what could it do to his mother, father, friends and even foes! It clearly shows that commerce is the be-all & end-all of life, today! Gosh! What's the world coming to… correction – what's the world already come to?