At a time when freedom of press in India makes for the biggest debate and attack on journalists in the line of duty has become a routine, a movie like ‘Spotlight’ makes a thought-provoking watch. As the media gets bashed up for being biased and one-sided, it cannot be denied that free press is still a distant dream in India. And so are our movies which fail to address serious and controversial issues.
Tom McCarthy directed movie ‘Spotlight’ released all over the world, gives a lesson not only to the filmmakers but offers an insight to the journalists on how to fearlessly cover a sensitive issue pertaining to the religion and head on deal with the repercussions.
The movie starring Michael Keaton (‘Birdman’ fame) and Liv Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams is a gripping newsroom drama set in Boston.
The script written by Josh Singer effectively captures the methodical approach of eight reporters who dig into the role of Archdiocese in covering up the sexual abuse of children by the priests. Directly attacking the church, the movie draws inspiration from the 2001 real life child abuse case where the investigative team exposed political and religious biggies.
Michael Keaton of Boston Globe refuses to blink while unearthing the paedophilic scandal in a church and reporting it. While promoting the movie, Keaton and McCarthy were regularly questioned by the media if there was an aftermath from the Vatican.
It was refreshing to see that people came forward to support the movie and also urged the bishops and clerics of the churches to watch it. Former chief prosecutor of clerical sex abuse cases said, “The movie shows how the instinct to protect a reputation was completely wrong.”
Freedom of press and empowering the media has been an issue which has been discussed in several Bollywood movies. But, no filmmaker has ever mustered the courage to give a clear depiction on thought-provoking journalism or question regressive religious divides. In order to avoid controversy and public outrage, Indian filmmakers and studios have started to play it safe due to which themes revolving around religion are not touched by a barge pole.
Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal starrer ‘Oh My God!’ and Aamir Khan starrer ‘PK’ questioned the illogical rituals, religious differences and God men at a very superficial level.
Talking of investigative journalism, the only recent movie one can think of is Konkona Sen Sharma starrer ‘Page 3’, that simply narrated the story of a journalist, who curiously takes up the crime beat and ends up unearthing a child-sex racket and in turn gets her career screwed.
Anusha Rizvi’s ‘Peepli Live’ and Kundan Shah’s ‘Jane Bhi Do Yaro’ gave a satirical overview on the lives of poor journalists, who are falsely implicated.
‘Peepli Live’ discussed the grim issue of farmer’s suicide in villages while ‘Jaan Bhi Do Yaro’ was about the government discrepancies and real estate mafia.
The journalistic dramas in Bollywood have never really talked of scribes unveiling a gravely serious matter involving a religious institution or scandals involving a powerful political figure. It has also never really tried to give frame by frame details of a journalist attacking an issue, though we had movies such as Rani Mukherjee in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ based on Jessica murder case.
Priety Zinta played a glamorized war journalist in sassy short hair, covering Kargil war for her channel and also getting back to her old boyfriend Hrithik Roshan, a heroic army man in Lakshya. Nargis Fakhri played a war reporter in Shoojit Sircar (the character loosely based on celebrated war reporter Anita Nair) who bizarrely gives away the details of her source to the hero played by John Abraham.
All of these above mentioned movies do not come anywhere close to the way script unfolds in 'Spotlight'.
Clearly, that can happen only when our filmmakers will start spending more time and money on writing a strong script and creating realistic characters. At the same time we need the audience to show more maturity to be able to consume uncomfortable topics, without getting emotional or falling prey to political rousing.
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