(This story was first published on 2 July 2017 and has been reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark World UFO Day)
Do you believe in UFOs?
Well, if you don’t, Indian news channels – particularly regional channels – might just coerce you into believing their existence.
Beliefs aside, Indian news channels are notorious for their hype surrounding any news story. Throw in some bizarre, weird event (read: UFOs) into the mix, and you’ve concocted the recipe for a perfect “dramatised piece of news” , peppered with words like sansani backed by dramatic music.
This World UFO Day, let’s take a look at some of the reportage that has dogged our television screens, every time a UFO has been spotted in some corner of the country.
Lucknow, 2014
On 24 July 2014, Amit Tripathi was enjoying a scenic sunset when he spotted a flashing object in the sky. He immediately whipped his phone out and took photos of the object, as it set spinning and rising into the sky. Speaking to India Today, he said that the object vanished into the sky within 40 seconds.
Meanwhile, the following report by Samay News on the same story saw visuals of carcasses of aliens and the like in passing snatches.
Kanpur, 2015
In what might be too perfect to believe, as this Indian Express report claimed, a Kanpur boy alleged to have seen an alien on his terrace. And what’s more is that he has pictures of the alien and its vehicle on his mobile.
The Samachar Plus report on the same story runs with the cliche Koi Mil Gaya headline, reminiscent of the 2003-hit starring Hrithik Roshan and an alien in lead roles.
New Delhi, 2015
On 31 October 2015, a UFO was spotted flying in and around the premises of the New Delhi airport on a regular basis, prompting security agencies to be put on high alert.
After being spotted at least three times, a chopper was put into action to discover the object. But the helicopter could not find anything, reported Hindustan Times.
Compared to previous reports of UFO sightings, this reportage of the UFO sighting by India TV is relatively subdued.
Raisen, 2016
After then Agriculture Minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria spotted ‘UFOs’ in 2009 in Madhya Pradesh, interest in alien happenings grew manifold in the state. Several years later, a group of archaeologists discovered paintings and other such relics depicted what they identified as aliens.
According to a TOI report, the most recent painting was discovered in a village in Raisen, some 40 kms from Bhopal, in March 2017. The painting reportedly shows an “alien holding a weapon and fighting with a human figure.”
This 2016 India News clip shows the same site. Running with the headline ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ – now a staple for every other UFO story. The segment opens with a poorly made CGI alien superimposed with the soundtrack from the film.
Barmer, 2016
It seems like news channels’ tryst with CGI graphics will continue as long as UFOs are spotted in the country. This ABP News report talks about an unidentified balloon that was tracked by an IAF radar in Rajasthan’s Barmer district. The object was later shot down by a Sukhoi-30 jet, deployed for this.
The ABP News report employs CGI to show a fighter jet-lookalike throw laser beams at a hot-air balloon, in an attempt to show what exactly happened.
Well, okay then.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)