“Killing celebrities on social media must stop” – Lata Mangeshkar : Bollywood News

One more attempt to spread false rumours about your health?
I don’t understand why there’s the need to report so negatively about my health. It’s almost as though a section of the social media enjoys the idea of bad news about me.

“Killing celebrities on social media must stop” – Lata Mangeshkar

That’s a ghoulish thought. But you are right?
There is an unhealthy trend on the social media to kill off or hospitalize people who have a name. We can see this as a sign of the desperation in a society hungry for news. Sadly sensational headlines have taken over from real news. Achchi Khabar mane boring Khabar. Buri Khabar means TRPs and trending new on the internet.

So what is your solution to this terrible problem?
I have no solution. You can’t stop people from spreading vicious rumours unless the government makes a law to prevent it. And how many times will they kill me or Bachchan Saab or Yusuf Saab (Dilip Kumar)? Repeated attempts to create news out of our lives makes the audience/ reader immune to tragedy. My fear is, people will start treating such false reports as a joke even when it is true.

How would you describe your presence on social media?
I use it to wish my colleagues on their birth and death anniversaries. Beyond that, I’ve no interest in sharing my day-to-day routine on social media.

How did you handle false gossip about yourself in your heydays?
I didn’t. My well-wishers did. No one wrote nonsense about me. When someone did, people reacted very strongly to the canard.

Do you hope to see a falsehood free social media?
Not in my lifetime. Falsehoods have become a part of our DNA. We can’t help projecting lies as sansani khej khabar. But this is a volatile medium still in its infancy. People are experimenting with their thoughts and ideas. One dangerous WhatsApp message can lead to mob violence and communal conflicts. I urge users of social media to be cautious. Social-media outlets are not to be fooled around with.

Also Read: The Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar on her very special bonding with Ambanis