Bollywood, these days, has become a platform to display glamour, expensive dresses, and ‘perfect’ bodies. Instead of creating good movies, series, and entrainment programs, the industry is now involved in publicity of their personal lives. Well, there are no prizes for guessing who helps these celebrities to reach the screen of almost every mobile phone and laptop. It is the Paparazzi, of course. However, the win-win situation for both parties turns toxic when the Paparazzi invade the privacy of these celebrities and make it a public business.
Bollywood making everything from Paparazzi
What is quite evident is that the Paparazzi ask Bollywood celebrities to pose for the pictures and later distribute them to multiple platforms and make money out of it. But, is this the whole truth? No, looking at a wider picture, one can easily depict that it is not a one-way traffic. These so-called actors and actresses tend to believe in displaying their various attires rather than selling their talent.
Rohit Shetty, director of popular movies like Golmaal and Singham, despite being a part of the same crowd, revealed that the celebs inform the Paparazzi about their whereabouts and ask them to come and click their pictures. During an appearance on Social Media Star With Janice, he took a dig at the Paparazzi trend and stated, “Kaun karta hai aisa? Phone karenge tabhi maalum padega na, photographer ko, ki ‘bhai, main aaj yeh mandir ke bahar hai’. Kaise maalum padega (Who does this? Only if you call and inform the photographers will they know that you are going to the temple. How else will they know)?”
Talking about the airport looks, Rohit commented that earlier, everyone used to dress casually while catching flights. “Ab uska kharcha alag ho gaya hai. Varna jab tak yeh photographers wahaan pohoche nahi the ya log bolte nahi the ki main utar raha hoon plane se, tab tak toh sab chaddi-banyan mein hi jaa rahe the (Now, there is a whole expense behind airport looks. Before photographers reached there and before people began informing them about their schedules, everyone would go in shorts and vests).”
Paparazzi violating the personal space
Though Bollywood actors ask Paparazzi to capture them while heading towards the gym, airport, party, and even grocery shopping, the latter turns into vultures and often invades the privacy of these stars too. The Paparazzi culture, which for celebrities is a boon in many cases, suddenly becomes toxic when the former stoop low and publicize what they should not.
For instance, the ruckus that the Paparazzi created with the Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty case. They completely invaded the privacy of the actress and had shoved their camera on her face while she was heading for her interrogation. What came as an even worse and traumatizing incident was when Sushant Singh Rajput’s last picture laying lifeless on the bed was released. The paps did not even think twice before committing such a heinous act.
Having cameras placed at various different angles just to record every little movement and activity of the celebrities is a new obsession for Paps. Moreover, their obsession with star kids too is troublesome. Though in various cases, it is the PR of these star kids to help them gain publicity and fame. But, harming their right to privacy and clicking them without their consent is also Paparazzi’s thing. Taimur Ali Khan, since he was a toddler, is being captured and has become a celebrity at the age of merely 3-4 years.
Bollywood and Paparazzi: a love-hate relationship
Bollywood and Paparazzi, in a nutshell, share the same bed and have a strong relationship. Bollywood, conveniently, encourages the former when needed for PR and demean them when they invade their privacy. Despite the trouble caused by Paps, the celebrities do not boycott them as they are aware that it can cost them their career, fame, and money.