A still from ‘The Post’
National Press Day (November 16) was last week, and, as an entertainment journalist, I decided to base this column on a topic that is as personal as it is relevant — films on journalism and journalists. Journalism’s evolution has been depicted throughout the last 100-odd years thanks to pop culture, and the life and work of journalists have made for a wealth of memorable cinema.
Before we get into biopics and fictional films, let us start with a mix of both — films based on real-life incidents. Often cited as the greatest film ever made, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, who developed the US’s largest newspaper chain and media company and is infamous for employing yellow journalism.
Arguably one of the most famous Indian films with a journalist at its centre is No One Killed Jessica which is a retelling of the Jessica Lal murder case. Hansal Mehta’s Scoop is based on journalist Jigna Vora’s biographical memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison in which she shared her experience of being falsely accused.
A still from Scoop
| Photo Credit:
Manpreet Singh Virk / Netflix
As far as fictional stories are concerned, a personal favourite is photojournalist-turned-filmmaker KV Anand’s Tamil film Ko which was also about a photojournalist whilehis Kavan was about television networks’ use of sensationalism to gain TRP. Shankar’s cult classic Mudhalvan was about a TV journalist’s tryst with the State’s CM.
Over the years, the portrayal of journalists on screen has either been of upstanding heroes whose pen was mightier than the sword or villains whose moral failings made plots murkier.
Nevertheless, we have had films that have stood out. For instance, Mammootty and Mohanlal starred as media personnel in New Delhi and Run Baby Run respectively. Suresh Gopi played a newspaper’s associate editor in the hit film Pathram. While Konkona Sen Sharma’s Page 3 was about tabloid culture, 2022’s Jalsa featured Vidya Balan as a high-morale journalist who inadvertently commits a crime. Kabir Khan’s experiences in Afghanistan sowed the seeds for Kabul Express (2006). Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla played reporters for rival news channels in the cult satire Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
From Hollywood, Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom, Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight, Steven Spielberg’s The Post, Alan J Pakula’s All the President’s Men and Sidney Lumet’s Network are gold standards of the genre. I also love Frost/Nixon, based on the conversations between former American President Richard Nixon and British journalist David Frost, which was also an inspiration for Mudhalvan.
A still from ‘Writing with Fire’
Closer home, Writing with Fire, on journalists running a Dalit women-led newspaper, became the first Indian feature documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award. Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992 was based on the 1992 Indian stock market scam. Shreya Dhanwanthary played the role of journalist Sucheta Dalal in the acclaimed series.
From The Hindu cinema team, a fortnightly column recommending films and shows tied to a mood, theme, or pop culture event.
Published – November 22, 2024 03:16 pm IST