Phataack! Thappad Ki Goonj

Aren't we quite a slap-happy nation, with almost everyone ready to slap another at the drop of a hat? I was watching one of the inane Roadies 6.0 episodes where one girl proudly states on national television that she is capable of slapping anyone. Hohoho, that's right!

Now that's some talent to advertise to the world at large, huh? But then maybe it is, for as I said, we as a nation seem to have a slapping epidemic. Looking back, I recollect so many news snippets:  Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth, and then there was this Tamil Director who slapped the heroine of his film, actor-turned-Member of Parliament Govinda slapped an onlooker, and then a TV host of a reality show was slapped by a contestant! Hilarious

It's really a weird, weird world that we live in where smoking on screen is banned, but violence, especially domestic violence, is quite permissible. Take any of the daily soaps on Indian television, be it in any language, and we can see domestic violence being glorified in various forms. Erring mothers, daring-to-dream daughters, unfaithful wives, vamps are shown to be kicked & slapped left & right by their husbands, fathers, mothers-in-law and boyfriends. Every TV serial worth their TRP has at least one slap scene, which is shown from every possible angle. uhh!

Nowadays, there is a statutory warning message flashed when onscreen drinking is shown; however, there is no message shown for violence depicted onscreen. When I say violence, I mean specifically that which can fall under domestic abuse - casual slapping/hitting/roughing up of female characters - in the name of justice. This sets a wrong precedent among their audience that violence of some types is acceptable under certain circumstances. 

Media, and especially television, has a far-reaching impact on its audience, and hence it is time they get a little more responsible in airing content which alters behaviour and helps gain acceptance of new worldviews.

Hope you are listening, Minister of Broadcasting and Information.