Unlike other actors, who don’t like the media ,Mahima Makwana, who herself will play a journalist in the post leap phase of Star Plus’ Mariam Khan Reporting Live, has a very balanced view about the fourth estate.
“Being a second year BMM student myself, I understand what goes on in a news room. There will always be two types of scribes – one, who follows journalistic principles like my on-screen father, Majaaz Khan (Khalid Siddiqui) did. Yet he was jailed on false terror charges. And two, like my love interest, Fawad (Param Singh), who will do what it takes for a story. Why don’t you watch the show to find out how and whether the twain shall meet. Though, for the moment, she is a cab driver and hates media for what happened to her dad.”
“I also accept that media plays a very important role in formulating public opinion, for e.g. you can also interpret our leap in two ways ¬– as a new story or as flogging an old horse. A lot depends on the lens the reporter views things with. Personal bias also creeps in at times. Hence, one should never take any story at blind face value, rather test it as per logic and known facts.”
When we ask about the new trend of very opiniated anchors dominating the prime time debates, she says, “While it is not wrong to mould public opinion as per the truth, but yes, it would be better to just stick to pointing out the facts and letting viewers decide for themselves. Sadly, today we live in highly polarized times. Take our Prime Minster, Narendra Modi. People either support or oppose him; there is no middle path. For the Bhakts, he can’t do wrong, and the dissenters can’t see anything good happening either.”
Looking ahead, Mahima is not sure if she wants to pursue a degree in journalism or advertising. “However, I think I will go for the latter, as I love marketing more.”
In closing, Mahima says, “My biggest grouse is the trivialization of media. For example, if something serious is happening in the country, yet some media outlets will divert attention to less important things like the Virat-Anushka shaadi, occurring on the same day.”