QRant: Stop Speculating About Irrfan’s Health - Just Lay Off!

It’s shameful that established media outlets are broadcasting uncredited WhatsApp messages about the actor.

Can we stop speculating about Irrfan Khan’s health?

(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

I'm afraid we've just found out that our media is suffering from a disease.

It could be HIV - short for Heartless Is Viral.

Or even TB  - which stands for TRP ke liye Bakchodi.

Here's what happend - On the 5th of March - actor Irrfan Khan put out a statement which said that he could be suffering from a rare disease. Besides making that very painful declaration, the actor also went on to request everyone to NOT speculate about his health as he would himself share any news he had about in a week or 10 days.

Now, how difficult is it for the media to understand something said so clearly by a man who is going through such a trying time? Irrfan has been brave enough to put himself out there in public, on Twitter to inform all his followers and friends that his life has been shaken up. Don't we owe the man a little bit of time and space that he's asked for?

I mean even before Irrfan could probably lift his finger off the send button after posting his tweet, the speculation began. An anonymous WhatsApp forward began doing the rounds stating that Irrfan had a deadly form of brain cancer and that the actor had been taken to Mumbai's Kokilaben hospital... it even shamelessly declares that "death is certain once diagnosis is confirmed".  I mean what the f**k is wrong with you people?

This piece of uncredited and totally mischievous WhatsApp message is picked up by established media outlets like News X and Jansatta and broadcast through television, newsprint and the internet. Simply by adding lines "Unconfirmed reports suggest" or "If latest reports are to believed" - you cannot absolve yourself of actively spreading malicious rumours about a person, who has graciously just asked you NOT to speculate about his health!

Just log into YouTube and you'll see more disgusting videos that declare :

“Viral Sach - Truth Being Irrfan Khan's Rare Disease Revealed”

“Irrfan ko India Se America le jaya jayega - Kya Bigad Gayi Hai Halat”

“Irrfan Khan Suffering from Brain Cancer, Here's the Truth” - another video promises with a PHOTOSHOPPED IMAGE of the actor on a hospital bed, bleeding from his head!

Again, what is wrong with you guys?! Have you lost every bit of decency and humanity to not heed to a person's request for some amount of privacy when he is going through a really bad time? Probably the worst ever time in his life?

There's really no other way to say this to those of you who are wildly speculating about Irrfan Khan's health and passing it off as news - JUST LAY OFF!

Script: Suresh Mathew
Camera: Sanjoy Deb
Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
Producer: Vinu Joseph
Anchor: Sanjana Ray