Film producer and former journalist Supriya Menon has strongly criticised online media and YouTube channels for their invasive behaviour during the funeral of veteran actor Salim Kumar.

The backlash follows an incident where the late actor's son, Chandu Salim Kumar, was forced to confront media personnel who had crowded the cremation ground with mobile cameras, creating chaos during the final rites.

Reacting sharply to the widely circulated footage of the family's distress, Supriya Menon called for immediate self-restraint and course correction from media outlets, urging them to allow grieving families their privacy.

In a poignant statement shared on Instagram, she wrote:
“Yet again a family trying to say bye to their loved one, a moment that is fraught with heartbreaking grief & pain. But here again there is a collection of cameras and mikes jostling to get this final goodbye in close up, like vultures flying closer & closer to their prey. The son shouting to get some space, asking them to move back, to cry in peace. What have we become? This voyeuristic urge to consume everything in real time, abandoning all sense of propriety & decorum. Let people grieve in peace, they have enough pain as it is. There ought to be some self restraint & course correction. This isn't journalism, it's voyeurism! Lurid & Vulgar.”

The video of Chandu’s emotional outburst has sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms, with the public heavily condemning the insensitive behaviour of online reporters at a house of mourning.

Also read: Mammootty, Mohanlal lead tributes to Salim Kumar: 'Your loss has become an endless sorrow'

In accordance with Salim Kumar’s final wishes, the funeral was conducted without any religious rituals. The National Award-winning actor had explicitly requested that traditional customs, including the immersion of ashes in the river, be avoided.

Salim Kumar passed away at a private hospital in Kochi following a cardiac arrest, after being placed on ventilator support due to a deterioration in his health.