Media personnel surround Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty as she arrives at Narcotics Control Bureau, in Mumbai, India, September 6. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters
Media personnel surround Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty as she arrives at Narcotics Control Bureau, in Mumbai, India, September 6. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters
Media personnel surround Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty as she arrives at Narcotics Control Bureau, in Mumbai, India, September 6. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters
Media personnel surround Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty as she arrives at Narcotics Control Bureau, in Mumbai, India, September 6. Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters

The way Rhea Chakraborty has been treated does no favours to Indian society


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The Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who in one film played the cricketer MS Dhoni, was found hanging in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. The Mumbai police said it looked like suicide. Shortly thereafter, the late actor's father called for his girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, also an actor, to be investigated, accusing her of abetment of suicide, a charge that didn't hold. But she was subsequently arrested last week by India's Narcotics Control Bureau on the unproven charge of sourcing drugs for Rajput.

Why does such clearly misogynistic content, where people are deemed guilty without proof, have takers at all?

From being largely unknown, Chakraborty's name over the past couple of months has been yelled so much in a handful of TV studios and amplified on social media to such an extent that it has guaranteed her an unwelcome legacy, the sort you wouldn't wish on anyone.

Last month Chakraborty filed a plea in India's highest court, of an "unfair media trial", one in which a staggering number of television anchors, without evidence, set off hashtags on the dangerous, easy-to-manipulate arena that is social media, demanding her arrest.

Media people in the know say the best way to not allow low brow TV material to gain traction is to not watch it. This would at least prevent their ratings from shooting up. But why does such clearly misogynistic content, where people are deemed guilty without proof, have takers at all?

Rhea Chakraborty arrives at the Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai, India, September 6. Punit Paranjpe / AFP
Rhea Chakraborty arrives at the Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai, India, September 6. Punit Paranjpe / AFP

It can be argued that no sensible viewer takes these channels seriously. One can't help but think of the time in 2018 when the actor Sridevi was found dead in a bathroom in Dubai and a gentleman from one TV channel climbed into a bathtub, presumably to help viewers imagine what it means to be found dead in a bathtub. He may have been parodied but the channel was also watched, and those views furthered the notion that this is what viewers want.

Enough people watch these programmes and begin to feel like they have skin in the game, a righteous vigilante mob starts to seek 'justice' – television shorthand for everything from seeking entertainment to seeking vengeance.

Broadly speaking, television ratings, which determine a channel's earnings, are dependent on revenues from advertisers. The more hysterical the news presented is, the more people watch. And the longer they keep watching, the more money gushes into the channel. It is how the cycle sustains itself.

At least two journalists at a disreputable but popular TV channel recently quit, because of this – using the actress-girlfriend as target practice. One of the two journalists tweeted about the "aggressive agenda" being run by the channel to "villify" Rhea Chakraborty. The journalist couldn't take it anymore. Several of her colleagues too spoke on record about being discomfited by what passes off as journalism.

In a piece for The Wire on witch-hunts, a Delhi-based researcher, Panchali Ray, wrote about a time in 1998 when she went through a similar hounding but was spared Chakraborty's fate because what happened to her was before social media, before TV debates where 'guests' (why do they keep agreeing to come on air?) are out to deafen their co-panelists.

And yet, even as Panchali Ray was spared the extent of this ugliness, in the years and decades since, she says has not stopped looking over her shoulder. Residual fears evidently exist even after the storm has passed.

Assuming Chakraborty gets out of judicial custody, is lucky enough to stay out and there is no court case, how does she move on from this unwarranted ordeal, which frankly is a matter of shame for a number of Indians. How many of us women, if similarly dragged over coals, lives shredded, presumed guilty with no proof, would function normally or get any sleep at all? The trauma may shadow Chakraborty for years.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched her being interviewed on a more sober channel. She was a figure of composure. Chakraborty told the news anchor, who she addressed 'ma'am', that this has torn her family apart. She wasn't crying. She wasn't dodging questions. "Sushant loved me," she said with what seemed like pride. It was tough to watch and not feel for her. One had to hand her respect for the remarkable job she was doing just holding it together.

The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on 10 April 10, 2019 at a book launch in Mumbai, India. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP
The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on 10 April 10, 2019 at a book launch in Mumbai, India. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP

Chakraborty may have an army of women – not just women, though – rooting for her and citing 'smash the patriarchy', but she is now locked up in a Mumbai jail till at least September 22.

Watchers of Indian TV news ought to be forgiven if they assumed, however naively, that there was nothing to report in India besides the repercussions of an actor's unfortunate suicide.

This is a country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases – having recently surpassed Brazil in that distinction, where the economy has seen better days, where industry is stalling and where, in the same week as Rajput's death, Indian soldiers bled to death in a border dispute with China.

In the middle of Charaborty's media trial though, a flicker of optimism seeped through in a tweet by a film producer, Nikhil Dwivedi, who expressed his wish to work with the actress once this nightmare subsides and the mob presumably moves on to its next victim.

He wrote: "Have the courts convicted her? In case they do, we shall wait for her to do time and reform. In case she doesn't reform then I shall take my words back. But the media and public needs to stop passing judgment". He also mentioned an important reminder, a truism that nevertheless bears repeating: "this is not how civilised countries behave."

Nivriti Butalia is an assistant comment editor at The National

UAE squad

Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)

While you're here
The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'

Rating: 3/5

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29

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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
WITHIN%20SAND
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Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
​​​​​​​Release Date: April 10

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Frida%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarla%20Gutierrez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Frida%20Kahlo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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Results
  • Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
  • Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
  • AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
  • Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
  • The Undertaker beat John Cena
  • The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
  • Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
  • Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
  • Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
  • Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
  • Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
  • Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
  • Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

RESULTS
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