A report by The New York Times which mentions Indian icon Lata Mangeshkar as a "so-called playback singer", has garnered the ire of Twitter users, who perhaps misconstrued the meaning of "so-called".
The newspaper's report is on Indian comedian Tanmay Bhat's controversial Snapchat video, in which he has used the app's face-swap feature to liberally ridiculed Lata and Sachin Tendulkar. After the video went viral on the social media and other channels, it triggered widespread outrage.
A description of the video in The New York Times report reads: "In the expletive-laced video, which was created on Snapchat, Mr. Bhat uses that app's face-swap feature to impersonate Sachin Tendulkar, a hugely popular cricketer who retired in 2013, and Lata Mangeshkar, a so-called playback singer for Bollywood films whose career dates to the 1940s.
Playback singers record vocals for song-and-dance numbers, to which actors and actresses lip sync."
Despite the explanation, the "so-called playback singer" phrase didn't go down too well with some people, who took to Twitter to slam the newspaper as they took it as an insult to the 86-year-old, who started her career in 1943 at the age of 13 and has been regaling music lovers with her mellifluous voice over the decades.
The idea of a playback singer is very Indian quite alien to the west. Hence what two desi writers of @nytimes wrote! https://t.co/cj7xiTyJkg
— Aseem Chhabra (@chhabs) June 1, 2016
In reaction to the trolling, Ellen Barry, South Asia bureau chief for The New York Times, explained in a tweet: "A note on 'so-called': Used here for non-Indian readers unfamiliar with the term 'playback singer'. In no way a commentary."
A note on "so-called": Used here for non-Indian readers unfamiliar w term "playback singer." In no way a commentary. https://t.co/hEYttcd3za
— Ellen Barry (@EllenBarryNYT) May 31, 2016
Even the article's co-writer Suhasini Raj clarified quoting the dictionary: "'So-called: used to introduce a new word or phrase that is not yet known by many people'."
'So called' to mean 'what is known as' https://t.co/wCV7YZTqAX
— suhasini raj (@suhasiniraj) May 31, 2016
New York-based Indian writer Aseem Chhabra, on his part, explained to the trollers: "Amazing some folks are upset @nytimes. Idea of 'playback singer' is unique to India. Hence the 'so-called' expression about @mangeshkarlata!"
