Alia’s Intrusive Pics: Janhvi Responds On Degrading ‘Pap Culture’

The paparazzi have been always an issue for many celebrities across the world. But the celebrities who pass the ‘tips’ and ‘hints’ of their daily schedule through PRs to paparazzi to get their pics clicked. Of late, some of Bollywood celebrities have been complaining about the degrading culture of paparazzi. They say the paps have become intrusive in the urge to get exclusive pictures.

Yesterday, Alia Bhatt expressed her angst after two pictures of her came out while she was sitting in her house and the photographers clicked her from the neighboring building terrace. Alia Bhatt ridiculed them for crossing the limits and called it not acceptable at all. Other Bollywood celebrities like Arjun Kapoor, and Anushka Sharma came in support of Alia Bhatt and posted their experiences.

Later, Janhvi Kapoor reposted Alia Bhatt’s Instagram story and she revealed her own experience. She wrote, ‘This is disgustingly intrusive. This publication has repeatedly done things like this. Including, despite my continuous requests, photographed myself unaware; inside the gym, I go to while working out through the glass door. In a space that is supposed to be private, where one does not anticipate getting photographed. I understand showing up to places, and in plain sight, and doing your job. Where there is a mutual understanding of the job of the photographers, and the job and requirements of being a public figure. This stealthiness, zooming into someone’s private space without their consent or even awareness and calling it exclusive as if it’s a journalistic accomplishment is far from it.’

Actress Sushmita Sen also responded to Alia Bhatt’s experience, while she says, ‘Privacy is a Myth’. ‘In a world made smaller by the virtue of the internet, technology, and social media, privacy is but a myth. And if you are a celebrity, you have it worse. With the paparazzi culture at its peak, there is little that can be kept hidden. Guys, how can you catch someone off guard despite their repeated requests to the media for privacy? When are we going to draw the lines? Are we becoming nothing more than PR machinery? Our right to privacy cannot be in any manner violated. Media frequently blur the lines between personal and social lives. They substantially confuse the two and the outcome is obnoxious and unscrupulous. Since we all have a psychological need for privacy, there should inevitably be a dichotomy between a celebrity’s private and public lives. The media should refrain from intruding on this demarcation line. The practice of using such news to boost channel ratings and garner the most viewers is by no means appropriate.

It looks like the celebrities are speaking up one after the other about the intrusion from the paparazzi. The netizens are saying that it would be interesting to see if they also speak about keeping their privacy by not giving PR tips on their whereabouts.