Smarties are my long-time favourite. Dripping my mouth with vanilla-flavoured smarties at McDonald's in Slough this afternoon, I was actually gulping emotions. The good thing about vanilla-flavoured ice cream is that it never interferes with your taste, keeps your throat moist so that you can intake a big serving, be it of emotions.
A whole host of stories indeed made me emotional, Mukesh Ambani taking over TV18, Shekhar Gupta leaving Indian Express after a span of 19 years. The grapevine is that Shekhar is taking over the reins at India Today and an unapologetic rightist Swapan Dasgupta to don the mantle at Indian Express.
These things are not uncommon after change in governments, especially after such widespread transformation in the country's political landscape. Yet every time they take place the air is filled with grapevine and whispers.
The Vodka served at the Delhi Press Club doesn't taste that sober. At least, it didn't in December 2003, when I was there to cover an election. No wonder, some journalists quickly lose their sobriety. Rumours fly thick and fast and one is tempted to make up the matrix of what they want to hear.
Shekhar, along with Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala were at their obedient best when talking to Amit Shah even before the Lok Sabha results were out. Barkha Dutt, whom I fancy calling the Kate Winslet of Indian journalism, was modesty personified with the BJP strongman. At least, by then the results were declared and India's fate for the next five years was eminent.
Prannoy is a smart operator. Probably the smartest in India's contemporary media circles. But what happens to the Sardesais? Will Rajdeep stop shouting at the top of his voice at 'India@9'! Will Sagarika be forced to praise the Ambanis!
Few years back, Bhaskar Ghose was our guest in Bush House. The proud father, father-in law was filled with no less pride as a grandfather. With an effusive smile he would say, how he enjoys baby-sitting Rajdeep and Sagarika's kids.
I was annoyed when Shekhar literally bent himself to please Amit Shah, but today his parting shot from the Express made my eyes moist. After all, we all survive because of our survival instincts. He will move from the Express Building at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, near ITO for those who are not conversant with Delhi's geo-political nerve centre, to the India Today office! Is it at Noida!
There was a time when Express Building was indeed the nerve centre of India's political journalism, if not Indian politics. I once had an opportunity to visit the building and it didn't seem anything extraordinaire. It was just after I had quit my job with the Financial Express in Kolkata. The idea was to collect my dues so as to meet my expenses during months of unemployment. Probably, Vivek Goenka was still not in command then.
If I am not mistaken, Vivek and his brother Santosh are Xavierians from Sahibganj, the school I had gone till I was in Class Four. One of my uncle's few claims to fame was that he taught the Goenka brothers. He would spare no effort to flaunt it.
Kolkata has been much more stagnant when it comes to journalistic mobility, yet rumours fly with equal agility like it does in Delhi and Mumbai. Claims and counter claims on the pecuniary benefits on offers and not professional excellence draw and redraw the contours of a journalist's career.
Television channels are up shots now, and their presenters and reporters nouveau-stars, yet none can deny their democratisation effect. Journalism is no longer confined to the rich, powerful, wealthy and the well read, but like always they often attach greater self-importance than is due to them.
Twenty-one years ago, on a June afternoon like today, I indulged in my journalistic journey at the St Xavier's College in Kolkata, where veteran journalist and senior editor Niranjan Sengupta taught a motley group of aspirants a few nuances of journalism. Since then, despite the best of efforts to whole-heartedly quit, I have been tied tightly with this profession.
After completing 20 years in journalism, of which 14 years with the BBC, I thought of quitting in 2012, and starting afresh with a new career. But that was not to be.
Probably, Niranjan Babu was right!
"It's difficult to get into journalism, but it's even more difficult to leave," he once told me.
Quitting journalism is like crossing a bridge, which one can try to the best of efforts but never accomplish completely !
Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay is a journalist and media consultant.
He can be contacted at tirthankarb@hotmail.com
Twitter Handle: @tirthankarb
All comments are personal.
Tirtha - I like this post. Actually it's true for any passion. It takes time to grow a passion - because it has it's own intricacies and challenges. But once you are in, you taste some success - and you get sucked into it (in a positive way).
ReplyDeleteThere is NO coming back ...
Newspaper/Journalism is one of the most fascinating industry which has this characteristics. I never worked as a journalist but spent first few years of my career in Anandabazar and very close to many great journalists who are now regular in Indian News Hour shows. It's fascinating that still today I have different place in my heart for the profession - and look at stories from different angle.
Yes - Niranjan Babu was right - laga chunri me daag ...