The funeral of beloved veteran Malayalam actor Salim Kumar on Sunday drew thousands of mourners to his residence, Laughing Villa, as fans, colleagues and well-wishers gathered to pay their final respects. Despite heavy rain, people continued to arrive throughout the day to bid farewell to one of Malayalam cinema's most cherished performers.
The Pulival Kalyanam actor, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 56, was laid to rest in the courtyard of his home. Several leading figures from the Malayalam film industry attended the funeral and paid their last respects to the actor. However, scenes from the funeral have sparked widespread discussion on social media after a rush of cameras and reporters reportedly made it difficult for the grieving family to carry out the final rites in peace.
Videos circulating online show Salim Kumar's son and actor Chandu visibly distressed as he repeatedly asked media personnel to step back and give the family some space. The situation reportedly became so chaotic that even police officers present to provide a guard of honour struggled to move through the crowd.
According to those present, Chandu found it difficult even to approach his father's body for a final goodbye because of the crush of cameras and microphones around him. As the crowd continued to push forward, he eventually lost his composure and was seen pleading with journalists to move away. In one widely shared video, an emotional Chandu can be heard asking, "What do you want? Please move back," as he tried to create space around the family during the deeply personal moment.
The incident has triggered criticism of sections of the media, particularly online outlets, with many social media users questioning the need to closely film grieving relatives during funerals.
Adding to the criticism was Supriya Menon Prithviraj, a former journalist, film producer and wife of actor Prithviraj Sukumaran. Reacting through her Instagram Stories on Sunday after watching the scenes from Salim Kumar's funeral, she condemned what she described as a growing culture of voyeurism surrounding public grief.
"Yet again a family trying to say bye to their loved one, a moment that is fraught with heartbreaking grief & pain. But here again there is a collection of cameras and mikes jostling to get this final goodbye in close up, like vultures flying closer & closer to their prey," she wrote. Referring to the scenes involving Chandu, she added: "The son shouting to get some space, asking them to move back, to cry in peace. What have we become?"
Supriya went on to question society's growing need to witness every private moment in real time. "This voyeuristic urge to consume everything in real time, abandoning all sense of propriety & decorum. Let people grieve in peace, they have enough pain as it is. There ought to be some self restraint & course correction." She concluded with a sharp criticism of the conduct on display, writing: "This isn't journalism, it's voyeurism! Lurid & Vulgar."
The images and videos from Salim Kumar's funeral continue to spark debate online, with many calling for greater sensitivity and restraint when covering moments of personal loss, regardless of a person's public profile.