The relaunch of The Indian Express publication Screen in a new digital avatar is big news for Bollywood.
Once upon a time, Screen was not just another film publication; it was a pioneer in entertainment journalism. In its print newspaper and tabloid avatar, it stood as a beacon of ethics and class, delivering in-depth, credible and nuanced coverage of every major and minor event in the film industry.
Unlike other publications that veered towards sensationalism, Screen earned a reputation for journalistic integrity, ensuring that both the artistry and business of Bollywood were represented with equal sophistication.
It was the ultimate authority in Bollywood coverage, setting benchmarks for the entire industry. A feature in Screen was seen as a stamp of credibility for films, stars and industry players alike.
Psst: Before I turned to PR in 1997, I was a journalist for 11 years. Apart from writing film reviews for The Indian Express, Screen was one of the publications I wrote for in 1996-1997. In those days, Rauf Ahmed was the editor of Screen. I did a couple of cover stories for its supplement Screen Channel and even had a full-page music column where I broke a lot of news stories.