The family deserves better: Supriya Menon questions media conduct at Sreenivasan’s funeral

Producer and journalist Supriya Menon has come down strongly on the media and members of the public for what she described as an intrusive rush to film and livestream the funeral rites of veteran Malayalam actor Sreenivasan. In a note shared on Instagram, Supriya spoke about how public mourning has increasingly turned into a spectacle, leaving grieving families with little space to process their loss in private.

Calling grief a deeply personal emotion, she pointed out the overwhelming presence of cameras and mobile phones during the final rites. Supriya noted how people were seen taking selfies from corners, filming continuously, and even pointing out film personalities arriving to pay their respects. She emphasised that many of those present were genuinely mourning the loss of a dear colleague, yet the atmosphere was dominated by constant recording and commentary.

Questioning where the line should be drawn, Supriya urged for introspection and restraint. She asked whether the dead and the families they leave behind do not deserve more dignity, and whether there is a limit to how much “news value” can be extracted from moments of personal loss. Expressing her inability to imagine the pain of a family grieving at the centre of such intense public attention, she wrote, “How much coverage is too much? Do we really need to crowd around the last rites, beaming it for everyone to see, as a broken family tries to say goodbye to their beloved?”