A couple of days ago, a report by news agency ANI did the rounds on social media. Titled ‘Kangana, a ‘Queen’ of lies?’, the report got #QueenOfLies trending all weekend and triggered tweets like this:
The report went on to “expose” the two-time National Film Award winner for being “skilled at keeping people in the dark“.
Except that it did a pathetic job of it and, for the lack of any substantial charges, ended up being frivolous and even sick.
What were you thinking ANI, before putting out this ridiculous propaganda piece that ignores all ethics of journalism and doesn’t adhere to even basic reporting skills?
If you don’t know what we are outraging about, just read excerpts from the report, which lists five “audacious but well circulated lies” by Kangana:
- That Kangana lied about her age
ANI says while Kangana claims she turned 29 this March, the truth is she is 30. The agency also put out a copy of Kangana’s passport to make this point, which showed her as 1986-born and went viral on social media.
Really, ANI? You make is sound like the lie of the millennium when, at most, it just evokes a smile! One, the difference is a minuscule one year and two, film stars – especially women – lying about their age is a worldwide phenomenon and surely doesn’t qualify anyone to be called a liar.
- That Kangana floated a rumour of being the highest paid actress in Bollywood
ANI, it would have helped your case if you have quoted Kangana making that claim, but you don’t. You then go on to say that her rival Deepika Padukone is the highest-paid actress. How about any evidence or report backing your claim?
- That rumours of Kangana’s collaboration with Raj Kumar Hirani are absolutely vague
ANI, can you please quote Kangana making this claim and Hirani hitting back? Instead, you should go back to your own past report that says “it is being said” that Kangana is in discussions with Hirani. And yeah, what’s so novel or alarming about such collaboration rumours? We thought it happens in Bollywood all the time!
- That Kangana’s claim that Kareena Kapoor Khan is her recently-turned BFF is false
Curiously, the report quotes neither Kangana nor Kareena and instead relies on “people who know the ‘Ki and Ka’ actress” to “rubbish” it. The report says “According to revelations, Kangana firstly got herself invited to Kareena and Saif’s party and later, claimed to be her best friend, which soon hit the headlines”. Even if we ignore the fact that this gossip hardly makes one a “liar”, how about quoting some sources?
- Finally, that her claim about Hrithik Roshan proposing to her in Paris is false
And just how in the world does ANI reach that conclusion? It says if Kangana was true that Hrithik proposed to her in January 2014, why did her emails to Hrithik repeatedly kept saying “when we would meet, interact and engage?
This got my goat, really. One, the emails are a matter of investigation as Kangana’s lawyer claims her account was hacked into and two, how does her words “expose” her “lie”?
Curiously, the ANI report doesn’t cite even a single source! The report also doesn’t have a byline, which in mandatory in cases where the reporter is relying on sources he or she chooses not to reveal.
It’s quite apparent that it’s a propaganda piece perhaps pushed by an over-aggressive PR machinery of Hrithik Roshan. Because, if it’s ‘journalism’, the least the piece needed was a response from Kangana or even mention of an attempt to reach out to her for comment.