There was a time when TV interviews at least attempted to maintain the pretence of neutrality. The anchor asked difficult questions, the guest replied, and viewers decided who made more sense.
In today’s hyper-polarised media climate, however, the mask often slips. The interviewer’s ideological discomfort becomes more visible than the answers he seeks to challenge.
That is precisely what happens in Rajdeep Sardesai’s interaction with actor Vivek Oberoi over the Modi biopic.
Not an interview, but an interrogation
Rajdeep approaches the conversation less like a journalist exploring a film and more like a man deeply irritated that a mainstream Bollywood actor could openly admire Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The questions are framed not to understand Vivek’s perspective, but to somehow compel him into admitting political motives, propaganda intent or opportunism. But the seasoned actor refuses to walk into the trap.
He does not raise his voice or sermonise. He simply explains why he sees Modi as an inspirational figure and why he felt the story deserved cinematic treatment. The calmness of his replies only makes Rajdeep’s visible discomfort more glaring.
The acceptable Bollywood script
For years, much of Bollywood maintained a carefully calibrated distance from Modi. Open admiration was risky and silence was safer. Criticism earned applause in elite circles. Vivek broke that unwritten code by not merely supporting the prime minister, but by acting in a film centred around him. That appears to unsettle Rajdeep more than the film itself.
The actor is not behaving like the caricature sections of the media often assign to Modi supporters. He is articulate, composed, and unembarrassed about his admiration. That creates a problem for an interviewer expecting either aggression or blind sloganeering.
Neutrality becomes impossible to fake
Criticism of any prime minister is legitimate. Journalists are expected to question power. But there is a visible difference between scrutiny and contempt.
Rajdeep’s tone repeatedly crosses into the latter territory. His body language, interruptions, and insistence on political framing betray something deeper than journalistic scepticism.
There is an unmistakable frustration that Modi continues to command admiration across professions, including among public figures who do not fit the conventional political mould.
The irony is impossible to miss. The journalist meant to appear neutral comes across as emotionally invested, while the actor accused of political bias sounds balanced and respectful.
Audiences now watch the interviewer, too
Television journalism has changed permanently because viewers no longer focus only on answers. They study expressions, interruptions, tone and intent. Social media clips travel widely not because of dramatic revelations, but because audiences can instantly detect visible prejudice.
And in this exchange, Rajdeep Sardesai reveals far more than Vivek Oberoi does. The actor emerges looking honest, while the interviewer emerges looking annoyed that honesty did not fit his preferred narrative.
