Dawn Images

There is a fine line between news coverage and badgering someone with invasive questions, and journalists need to learn where to draw it.

Recently, Farhan Saeed and Urwa Hocane showed up for a Tich Button media briefing with the rest of the team in Lahore. The session was going well with journalists asking relevant questions about the film and production until one decided to cross a line that shouldn’t have been crossed. He asked the couple to hold hands and confirm their relationship status.

In the video, recorded by Halchal TV, he introduced himself and demanded Saeed and Hocane pay attention to him while he asks this question. At first, he tried to play it safe and questioned them using an analogy, “I want to ask a question about your lives — this film is Tich Button, is this button coming apart or is it tich [intact]?”

The Mere Humsafar actor was quick to respond with a generalised answer. “It is tich, this is Tich Button, our family is also tich, our Punjab is also tich and [so are] however many families that are watching, can derive value out of it and relate to it. Our entire Tich Button team is tich,” he said.

Instead of taking the hint upon receiving a very clearly dodged answer, the reporter then had the audacity to say, “Can you two join hands so we know…” Saeed in good humour lightly dismissed him by saying his name, “Thakur saab…” repeatedly until he stopped talking. The team laughed it off on stage and curtailed their discomfort, moving past it but that doesn’t make any of it okay.

There have been speculations about Hocane and Saeed’s relationship status but until and unless they choose to speak on the matter, their privacy NEEDS to be respected. It is simply basic human decency. Just like you wouldn’t go around asking people in your life about what is going on in their personal life, you have to have the same consideration for celebrities’ boundaries as well.

People often tend to forget that celebrities are also people and they have emotions just like us. They are not immune to discomfort or anger or disturbance. And fans may feel like they know them after developing a connection with their onscreen characters but that doesn’t give them a right over their personal life. Like everybody else, they need their space and the right to divulge whatever information they want, whenever they want with the public.

So Thakur saab, please stop being a toxic aunty. Back off and respect other people’s boundaries.