In a time where the news never sleeps and social media is always watching, dealing with personal loss can turn into a whole show, especially for celebs.
One of the most heartbreaking videos that emerged from the coverage of actress Shefali Jariwala’s death recently was the emotional appeal of her husband, Parag Tyagi, to the media. As the paparazzi hounded him for bytes, he asked the media with folded hands to respect their privacy and not dramatise the situation. “Please aisa mat karo na tum log.” The plea of the man who had just lost his wife spoke volumes about the depth of his suffering.
While the public is interested in celebrity affairs, there is a fine balance between informing the public and respecting privacy, especially during difficult moments such as personal bereavement.
Right to keep private pain private
When someone famous dies, especially if they are young and it was unexpected, it is understandable that their fans want to know what happened. However, the coverage of the singer and actress’ untimely death shows that such situations are not always handled properly or ethically. Actor Varun Dhawan took to social media to condemn the coverage. He wrote: “Again one more passing of a soul being insensitively covered by the media. I just don’t understand why you have to cover someone’s grief. Everyone looks so uncomfortable with this. How is this benefitting anyone? My request to my friends in the media: this isn’t the way someone would want their final journey covered.” Other celebs too came out in support of Dhawan. Janhvi Kapoor shared his post on her Instagram story and wrote, “Finally someone said it (sic).”
Can leave emotional scars
Such coverage can leave deep scars on the grieving family, say mental health experts. “The passing of a loved one is a deeply personal and painful experience. When a public figure passes away, the tragedy is often turned into a public spectacle, which only adds to the suffering of the grieving family. In the case of Shefali Jariwala, the intrusive and often insensitive media coverage, which Varun Dhawan rightly called out, highlights a larger issue in how we as a society handle grief in the public eye,” says Dr Harini Atturu, senior psychiatrist at Care Hospitals.
“The deceased also deserves respect and dignity. Sensationalism, invasive questions, and continuous speculation strip away that basic humanity. Spreading unverified rumours is not just irresponsible; it is emotionally damaging, not only to the immediate family but also to the extended family, friends, and well-wishers who are also coping with the loss. Such coverage can trigger severe mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and even complicated grief. It often delays healing and can leave long-lasting emotional scars,” she adds.
Media trials have been one of the most reprehensible aspects of news coverage. From the witch hunt for Rhea Chakraborty after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput to the news cycle after the death of Princess Diana, the media has been accused of overstepping its boundaries again and again.
BOX
Celebs who called out media
Kriti Sanon
The actress had earlier called out media and online portals for capitalising on actor Siddharth Shukla’s death. She wrote: “Breaks my heart to see our media, photographers and even online portals being so insensitive. Shameful! This isn’t “News”, nor is it “Entertainment”! Draw some boundaries! Have a conscience! Said it before, Saying it again! STOP covering funerals!”
“Stop hounding people who are dealing with personal loss by flashing your camera in their face at their most vulnerable time! And for what? A few posts? Online portals and channels are equally at fault” Take a stand, DON’T post those pictures and videos ! Stop faking sensitivity by just writing “Heartbreaking” in the captions of such inhuman insensitive posts,” she added.
Anushka Sharma
In the aftermath of Siddharth Shukla’s death, the actress amplified a post of comedian Zakir Khan that talked about the insensitivity of media. The post said: “That’s why your death will only be show for them. Your crying mother is a show, your father, broken by the pain, is a show, your depressed sister, your brother who has lost all hope, anyone who loves you, is a show. It would have been another thing had you been alive. After you, your crying loved ones will only quench their thirst. I’m just saying that this is the life you and I have chosen. Maybe you will regret it a little less if you knew this while you were alive. That’s why you should stay happy with your friends, love your people. Learn new things, make new relationships. Just don’t live for them. Whatever time you have left, live for yourself. Because for them, you aren’t even human.”