After battling severe health issues, veteran actor Dharmendra was discharged from the Breach Candy hospital in south Mumbai on Wednesday morning after the family decided to take him home for treatment. However, hours before the news was made official, several fake news of the veteran actor's death spread like wildfire on social media, prompting his daughter Esha Deol and wife Hema Malini to issue clarifications and reprimand the media for being irresponsible.
Now, The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) President Ashoke Pandit has filed a formal police complaint against certain paparazzi and online media outlets for their "inhuman" and "unethical" approach while covering Dharmendra's health condition.
In a detailed letter addressed to the Senior Inspector of Juhu Police Station, it was said that the family's privacy was breached during the media frenzy around his health with many entering the premises of the veteran actor's residence and "recording footage and images of his family members without consent."
"These visuals have been circulated publicly for sensationalism and profit, without any concern for legality, decency or the emotional distress caused to the family," he added, noting that the act was "inhuman, unethical and a gross violation" of the right to privacy.
He further urged the department to take strict action against those responsible for the "shameful conduct". "It is imperative that a strong precedent be set so that such violations are not repeated in the future," he wrote, concluding the letter.
Recently, Sunny Deol was seen lashing out at paparazzi for standing outside his home and intruding their privacy. In a viral video, a visibly angry Sunny was seen folding his hands and requesting the photographers to leave from his premises. “Aap ke ghar mein maa-baap hai, bachche hai. Chu**** ki tarah video bheje ja rahe ho. Sharam nahi aati? (Don’t you have mothers and fathers at home? Don’t you feel any shame?),” he was seen saying in the video.
Several personalities from the film industry including Karan Johar and Madhur Bhandarkar also spoke out against the constant media attention surrounding the veteran actor.
While Karan said it was painful it was to watch what he called a "media circus" around the Deol family, Madhur Bhandarkar urged the media to respect the Deol family's personal privacy.