''Media is more dangerous than terrorists'' - Ram Gopal Varma

This was pretty much on the cards. After media went ballistic during last few days lashing out at Ram Gopal Varma for his visit to Taj along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, it was expected that Ramu would reply through his blog. And this is what he has done where after explaining his visit to Taj as being purely incidental, he has challenged the very mentality of media that has sensationalized the entire issue.''I find it shocking that in the wake of such a terrible incidents happening in the country, the media can waste so much time and telecast hours and subject the people of the country to something as inane as some filmmaker's presence at a place which for the life of me I can’t understand how it can affect anybody or anything in comparison to what else is going on'', he fumes. Settling down, he goes on to explain what really transpired, ''I know Riteish since years as I have done films with him and also since we belong to the same fraternity. On that day I went to meet Riteish to discuss Rann, my new film, with him which incidentally has got nothing to do with terrorism. As we were talking, Riteish said that his dad was going to Taj and he wished to go with him. So since I was with him I accompanied him there. Mr.Vilasrao has never been formally introduced to me and he didn't even know that I was with Riteish as me and Riteish were in another car. ''As far as Riteish is concerned his information was that the areas we might be able to see are the ones where the investigations have already been completed. By the time we reached Taj, there were more than 60-70 people there including Police officers, some Government officers and Hotel staff. In that whole crowd, I doubt Mr.Vilasrao even noticed me. Yes, I was amazed that I got a opportunity to see the place where such a horrendous incident happened and I would like to know which person in the entire country would not have been curious to see the place", he questions back. Taking a dig at the media and the inference that was made around his visit adding to the reasons that led to the CM's resignation, he quips, "Media makes us believe, not necessarily by intent, that only they have the interest of people in their hearts, and due to that people tend to believe in them blindly. This is a classic example of the blind leading the blind. Outcome of this can be many times ridiculous. As per some Media people's suggestions even if remotely this episode can affect a Government’s standing, I find that almost as dangerous as terrorism." The shocker comes in the end when he compares media with terrorists, "If people who attack the unarmed are defined as terrorists then Media at various levels with their coercive methods and insinuations are very similar. A terrorist attacks the mind and kills the body, the media attacks the mind with its interpretations and kills a person’s spirit with its insinuations. In a way I would say that Media is more dangerous than terrorists because they do it under the guise of safe-guarding values."