PAPARAZZI: WHEN DID A CAMERA BECOME A LICENCE TO INVADE?
Salman Khan has raised a question that the entertainment industry has been quietly avoiding for years: when did photographing a celebrity become a licence to invade their dignity? Recently, Salman spoke about the way some paparazzi photograph celebrities, particularly actresses, from intrusive and inappropriate angles. He questioned who gives some of these photographers press cards and why such photographs are repeatedly taken even when women are clearly uncomfortable. He also spoke about the now-familiar “Can you guess this celebrity?” trend, where a celebrity is photographed from behind and the image is turned into a guessing game.
“CAN YOU GUESS THIS CELEBRITY?” — REALLY? A photograph taken deliberately from behind may look like harmless social-media content, but when the framing is clearly designed to focus attention on a woman’s body rather than the person, the question becomes different. Why are certain angles repeatedly chosen? Why is the camera deliberately focused on the chest or other parts of a woman’s body? Why do some photographers seem to know exactly when celebrities are coming out of gyms? Yes, celebrities are public figures and they will be photographed, but being photographed in public does not mean every possible angle is automatically fair game. There is a difference between photographing someone and deliberately photographing them in a way designed to attract sexualised attention.
Then come the questions. “How’s this at home, sir?”, “Aren’t you in the mood?”, “Madam, what’s going on?” Some of these questions have very little to do with journalism. They are personal, intrusive and, quite frankly, often stupid. The objective appears to be to provoke a reaction, capture that uncomfortable moment and turn those few seconds into content. The more uncomfortable the celebrity becomes, the better the content performs. Since when did making someone uncomfortable become a content strategy?
Jaya Bachchan has been particularly outspoken about paparazzi culture and intrusive photography, and whether one agrees with her style or not, she has certainly made the issue impossible to ignore. Jaya gives it back to them — superbly. But here is where the celebrity world also needs to look in the mirror. There are influencers and self-styled celebrities who themselves create “exclusive content” for their social-media pages and even charge subscription fees for access. There is nothing wrong with monetising your own content, but there is a contradiction when the same ecosystem creates a new generation of content creators who begin believing that every other celebrity is equally available to them. You create a culture of access and then complain when access becomes entitlement. If someone voluntarily creates content for public consumption, that does not mean everyone else has unlimited permission to invade their personal space. Consent is not transferable.
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And then there is the media. This is where I want to say something uncomfortable. I have watched media professionals who once worked for prestigious newspapers and television channels now give interviews about things that happened years ago, sometimes sharing what was told to them privately, because today that story can generate eyeballs. Sorry, my friends. Closed chapters may get you eyeballs, but they don’t make it cool. Journalism has some very basic principles. If a celebrity told you something in confidence, the fact that you remember it years later does not automatically give you the right to turn it into content. Experience is valuable, but so is discretion. Sometimes knowing what not to publish is as important as knowing what to publish.
So should paparazzi be governed by some kind of professional code? I am not saying celebrities should be protected from every photograph. They are public figures; they will be photographed, questioned and criticised. But there has to be a line. There should be meaningful accreditation and a basic professional code of conduct for paparazzi and celebrity photographers working around public figures. This is not about censorship of legitimate journalism. It is about accountability. Those who deliberately cross the line should face consequences, whether they are carrying a professional camera or simply holding a mobile phone.
At the same time, if a celebrity willingly participates in provocative or suggestive content, that is their choice. Let them. But that does not mean every celebrity has made the same choice, and we should not treat everyone as though they have. There is something called class. A celebrity may have had a terrible day, may not want to talk, may be tired or simply want to get into their car and go home. That does not automatically make them arrogant. It makes them human. And please, don’t become judges. The internet has already become a courtroom where a three-second photograph is enough to decide someone’s character.
Now add AI to this equation and the problem becomes even more serious. Images can be altered, manipulated, reframed and taken completely out of context. Once something is online, stopping its circulation can become almost impossible. That makes the responsibility of the person holding the camera — and the person publishing the image — greater than ever.
The real question is not whether celebrities should be photographed. Of course they should. The real question is: WHAT ARE YOU PHOTOGRAPHING — AND WHY? Are you covering a public appearance, reporting on someone’s work or documenting an event? Or are you deliberately looking for a body angle, an awkward expression, a wardrobe malfunction, an embarrassing reaction or a personal question because you know it will get more clicks? There is a massive difference.
Salman Khan may have put it bluntly. Jaya Bachchan has been saying it in her own way for years. Perhaps it is time the industry stopped laughing, stopped forwarding the clips and actually started discussing the problem. Because a camera gives you access; it does not give you entitlement. And a mobile phone does not automatically make you a journalist.
Vikrant Meena Hemant Joshi
