In times of grief, it is highly unlikely that people would want a microphone shoved at them while a camera broadcasts their reactions for the entire world to see. And it is certainly strange to ask someone who is trying to cope with the loss of a close family member how they feel, and other similar questions.
On Sunday, soon after news of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide came in, news organisation Aaj Tak was spotted reporting from his father's house in Patna.
In a now widely shared and criticised video clip, the anchor can be heard stating that Rajput's father "was not in a state to talk". The anchor then goes on to wonder if his sisters are available to talk and would be able to "shed light on why Sushant took such a step".
Now, to be fair, this isn't anything new for Aaj Tak. The channel has a penchant for going to the root of an issue, in at times shocking fashion.
In the aftermath of actor Sridevi's death a few years ago, the channel had taken to reporting with a rather morbid visual to aid them. We're talking of course about the bizzare visual where an anchor stood before a bathtub and waxed poetic about her death. The space above the 'maut ka bathtub' was adorned with a photo of Sridevi.
But this was not an isolated incident. In another instance, in 2019, Aaj Tak news anchor Anjana Om Kashyap faced flak after she decided to enter the ICU at the Shri Krishna Medical College Hospital in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, waking through a space that seems to be filled with patients and doctors and trying to interview them. This was at a time when many in the state were suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.
Then came their "recreation" of the Hyderabad rape-murder. This was apparently done in an attempt to understand how the victim could have been saved. The channel, in a video posted online showed an anchor riding an Activa. The anchor then walks viewers through a rendition of the events leading up the the horrific crime.
Netizens have not been happy with Aaj Tak's latest attempts.
"I am speechless after listening to this news anchor's horribly insensitive comments about Sushant Singh's suicide. And the reporter won't let the family grieve in peace by zooming in on the broken father's face," wrote one Twitter user.
"What a pathetic anchor to goad her reporter to speak to the sisters because the father isn’t in a state to speak. Despicable, disgraceful behaviour," wrote another.
Take a look at some of the comments:
